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ePathfinder Staff

[wow_title text=”Recent Stories”]

  • Competition of the Year
    2024 Olympics As we enter the new school year, Paris will be preparing for the 2024 Olympic Games, marking its 33rd annual year. Side-by-side with the Paralympic Games, these will go down as the one of the biggest events taking place in France; becoming the center of the world of sports. Due to the rescheduling in 2020, the last Olympic games were played almost two years ago in 2022. The Olympics are a series of competitions between a plethora of sports. Four new ones will be added this year: breaking, sport climbing, surfing, and skateboarding. There’s no predicting the new wave of fans that will appear this year to view these, especially the youth. “I was super excited to hear about the new sports being added. Sport climbing is something I participate in. Surfing and skateboarding are both sports I keep up with on a regular basis as well. I think there’s a huge percentage of people that do all of these too. I’ve met a bunch so this will definitely bring in more watchers,” said Deerfield Beach High School junior Julianah Cha Pit. There has not been an Olympics Game since 2022 in Beijing, so it is exciting to have it back for a competitive event that sports lovers will enjoy. Besides the entertaining side of the Olympics, there is also a reason why it takes place. The Olympics is said to originate from a Greek mythology story of a form of honoring the Greek god Zeus. But the modern Olympics began in Athens, Greece in 1896 as a way of uniting different athletes and competing for gold. Ancient Greeks loved competitions of all sorts and found the Olympics as a form of entertainment. As time passed, the idea of the Olympics was very much the same except the sports have increased and their popularity has grown. Now, the Olympics occur every four years and athletes become recognized for the talent and work they put into sports that they love. One of the most well-known Olympic champions is Simone Biles, an American gymnast who won the Gymnastics World Championships and seven Olympic medals. “I think the Olympics is very fun to watch, very entertaining and it shines light on athletes who are really good,” said DBHS freshman Brianna Rivera. The Olympics are hosted by different countries for every game. This allows every nation to be noticed. “The Olympics are important because it can help economically to whatever country is holding the Olympics and bring attention to it,” added Rivera. It’s clear to say that everyone in every corner of the world will be looking forward to the next 2024 Olympics Game and they hope to see another intense game Written by Janna Margar Pit | Graphic Designed by Janna Margar Pit Published December 21, 2023 | ePathfinder | Sports 
  •  Into the Beetle World
    A new DC hero in the making A new hero has entered the DC universe, and everyone is here for it. On August 18th, 2023, the Blue Beetle movie was released and officially made its way into the DC universe. The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto, a Puerto Rican filmmaker who also worked on Charm City Kings. Xolo Mariduena plays Jaime Reyes, also known as ‘Blue Beetle’. Blue Beetle focuses on Mexican American Jaime Reyes, who gains mystical superpowers from an alien scarab. This film introduced us all to the first Latino superhero that also involves Hispanic cultural aspects. Despite the amazing superpowers and strength of the Blue Beetle, the host, Jaime Reyes is also just a teenage boy who wants to make his family proud with dreams of his success. That is where his story begins when he and his cousin work as maids for a rich technology company in the hopes of getting a higher position to fulfill his dreams. That led to the discovery of the beetle scarab and the awakening of the Blue Beetle. “I loved how the movie focused on the importance of the superhero and at the same time, Jaime Reyes’ culture. He reminds me of myself and the things I have struggled with,” said Deerfield Beach High School freshman Raevin Chalners. Jaime Reyes has the help of his family while fighting off the main antagonist, The Carapax, but it also leads to further danger as he doesn’t only have to protect his city, but also his own family. The Blue Beetle film also includes the reality of being in a Hispanic household with a good amount of humor as well. Not only does it show the powers of the scarab, but it also gives its fans who fall into the same ethnic group a movie to relate to. This movie does an excellent job of introducing a new hero, the Blue Beetle, and including the culture of its character Jaime Reyes. It has the perfect mix of different emotions and gets deep into the hearts of many people. The Blue Beetle will return in a new film, but it has not been confirmed by anyone when the official release date will be. Many hope to see the story of Jaime Reyes and his family continue as the DC universe grows with new superheroes. In Jenny Kord’s words, “Your house is full of love. Your family — that’s a home.” Written by Janna Margar Pit | Graphic Designed by Janna Margar Pit Published December 7, 2023 | ePathfinder | Entertainment

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[wow_title text=”Content by Janna Margar Pit”]

  • The Summer I Turned Pretty 
    Love-triangle of the decade The teen love show, The Summer I Turned Pretty sparked every fan’s heart with a second season. The first season was released only a year ago which makes it even better. Originally being a trilogy book series by author Jenny Han, it is now a TV series giving its fans a fresh look at each character. Actress Lola Tung starred as the main character Isabelle “Belly” Conklin, a sweet teenage girl caught in between a dilemma with Jeremiah Fisher, played by Gavin Casalegno and Conrad Fisher, played by Christopher Briney. These characters make up the love triangle that builds throughout the show, and a group that constantly makes fans shuffle between all three sides. Considered a coming-of-age story, The Summer I Turned Pretty focuses on Belly, who holds a romantic connection between two teenage boys who happen to be brothers. It begins with a longing crush on her childhood best friend Conrad. All she’s known is her fixation on him but during her summer break in Cousins Beach, a series of events makes her question whether she likes Conrad, or his brother, Jeremiah. Without a doubt, this is more complicated than any other love triangle. It plays with the dynamics of love, friendship, family, and morals. The first season was released on June 17, 2022, and the second season was released on July 14, 2023. The book author, Jenny Han also contributed to producing and making an appearance in the show. This helped the director and other producers get a better understanding of what was supposed to happen because they had her insight. Since the newest season came out, many new fans have shown support with its concept. The series does an excellent job portraying the emotions of a teen girl stepping out of her comfort zone and into the experiences of being 16. It gives many other teenage viewers someone to relate with. “It made me so sad, but it was entertaining and that’s why I liked it. When it comes to Belly, I kind of relate to her because it was a little hard for me growing up, from being a kid to as I am now,” said Deerfield Beach High School sophomore Anisah Mohammad. The Summer I Turned Pretty does not just give an entertaining plot and an exciting love triangle but also shows a realistic situation of a summer vacation with family friends. Lately, it was announced on August 3, 2023, that a third season will officially be coming out eventually. Although the exact date is not clear, many fans and DBHS students alike are excited to see where the story is going to take this love triangle. Written by Janna Margar Pit | Graphic Designed by Janna Margar Pit Published September 22, 2023 | ePathfinder | Entertainment 
  • Standing in the Spotlight
    The MTV Video Music Awards People were celebrating this year’s VMAs on September 12th, 2023. Many celebrities and artists surprised the masses with their talent and got the recognition they deserved. In 1984, MTV began the VMAs (Video Music Awards) to award and recognize talented individuals and move their rank up in the singing industry. Since then, the VMAs have entertained their audience and have given the winners something to motivate them to keep doing what they are doing. Looking back at older VMA celebrations, things have changed since the first VMAs were held. Iconic artists of each generation perform at the VMAs to give their guests something to look forward to besides the award-giving ceremony. In one of the earlier celebrations, bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, and artists like Snoop Dogg performed and were unforgettable. In this year’s VMAs on September 12th, 2023, artists Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Karol G, and Demi Lovato performed on the stage with many songs and incredible talent. Even the K-pop or Korean Pop groups Stray Kids and TOMORROW X TOGETHER performed. These talented individuals should be proud of the recognition they are granted for being invited to the award show. Few people know the importance of giving awards to those who work hard. VMAs are influential to lots of celebrities and always aim to appreciate artists who deserve it. It is wonderful how the VMA Awards bring celebrities and artists together to celebrate each other’s talent. “It’s good to recognize artists because it appreciates their work and brings them out there more. The fact that it’s so many artists in one place and getting awards for everything makes it special,” said Deerfield Beach High School freshman Brianna Rivera. Although not all that participate in the VMA awards receive an award, the awards are given to the ones that deserve it the most and worked the hardest for it. It is a fan-voted award, so it all depends on an artist’s fan base to push them to the top. In this year’s VMAs, some of the most viral winners were Taylor Swift for all three video, artist, and song of the year. Ice Spice won Best New Artist, Maneskin won Best Rock, and many more artists won awards for their talented work. Not only do the VMAs recognize singers and artists, but also influence their music to give people what they want. The award show has done an incredible job of helping artists continue their careers. Annually, numerous people look forward to watching the VMAs celebrate big and small artists. Written by Janna Margar Pit | Graphic Designed by Janna Margar Pit  Published October 6, 2023 | ePathfinder | Entertainment 
  • Slam Dunk
    Dribbling into this basketball season Returning to the court for the upcoming basketball season are the Deerfield Beach High Bucks. Starting the season, the girls’ basketball team has their first game on November 13th against the Cypress Bay Lightnings. The boys’ basketball team also has a game on November 13th against Somerset Keys Lions marking the first of a long list of competitions. The players are pumped as they enter this next period, and a lot has changed since the last. Different expectations are rising for this year; the boys’ and girls’ basketball players are preparing to reach them with a slam dunk. “My expectations are for it to be challenging and I hope to come out a district champion,” said DBHS senior Shanice Rebecca. “I’m excited for the journey and to see how I develop on and off the court.” The Deerfield Beach High basketball initiative provides many opportunities for talented players to achieve their goals. Basketball is also a great sport to help strengthen the minds of students when it comes to partnership and competition. Players build up this innate skill with techniques like defense and rebounding drills with their teammates by their side. As soon as the games start, players have to be ready mentally and physically. The school is confident that the teams will have more wins than losses and is looking forward to the games that have yet to come. The tickets to attend an upcoming or future games are available for purchase on GoFan. Written by Janna Margar Pit | Graphic Designed by Daniel Sasson  Published November 3, 2023 | ePathfinder | Sports 

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[wow_title text=”ePathfinder Stories”]

  • Screens of Death
    Effects of the AT&T power outage AT&T is a widely known wireless service that is used widely across the globe. Hundreds of thousands use AT&T daily, and the service is greatly loved. But in a crazy turn of events, a widespread outage left vast swatches of the globe without electricity for several days. The event highlights the vulnerabilities of interconnected online systems frequently used to share information, resources, and processing capabilities. Examples of interconnected systems are computer, control, and power systems, which heavily rely on power grids and satellite systems. The groundwork for why the AT&T outage negatively impacted businesses.  The power outage had widespread complications for various industries. Technology companies, such as Google and Microsoft, experienced paramount disruptions. Google reported a temporary loss to its services, affecting everything from email to cloud storage. Microsoft faced similar problems, with disruptions to its Azure cloud platform causing significant interruptions for businesses relying on it. Financial institutions were also severely impacted. Banks JPMorgan, Chase, and HSBC had to suspend online banking and ATM services. That led to a scramble for cash and a temporary stop in financial transactions. Stock markets worldwide were in decline as trading systems were on halt. Retail and manufacturing sectors weren’t safe either. Walmart and Amazon, both heavily reliant on digital infrastructure, faced challenges in managing supply chains. Factories experienced production halts, causing delays in manufacturing and distribution.  Technology companies acted quickly to address the disruptions. Google and Microsoft collaborated on fixing things, including rerouting data through backup servers and implementing manual processing for critical services. Financial institutions developed alternative methods for transaction processing and cash distribution to minimize customer impact. Power companies worked around the clock to restore electricity. Engineers and technicians from these companies with international aid organizations deployed emergency generators and temporary power solutions to critical infrastructure, including hospitals and emergency services.  After the outage situation, there has been a global push for more robust and resilient infrastructure. Energy companies are investing in decentralized power grids and enhancing cyber security measures to protect against future threats. Efforts are also underway to upgrade the technological infrastructure that supports critical services. On the technical side, Google and Microsoft are working on improving backup systems and disaster recovery protocols. Financial institutions are revising contingency plans to make sure operations can be continued in case of major disruptions.     As the world bounces back from this global power outage, the lessons learned will be important in reshaping the future of infrastructure development and crisis management. This incident brought light to the need for greater resilience and preparedness in our increasingly interconnected world. Written by Amina Scott | Graphic Designed by Widelandine Emilcar Published September 17, 2024 | ePathfinder | Feature
  • Distressed From The Rest
    Mental Health Days  Taking a day to oneself is especially important. Sometimes, having a little self-maintenance time to reflect and care for personal needs while balancing out a week is good. The problem is that some students cannot take a break due to schoolwork. “I think students should have mental health days; sometimes school can get overwhelming and stressful,” said Deerfield Beach High School junior Thiago Codeceira. “Having a day to focus on yourself as a reminder of what you are working towards while getting all your thoughts in order.” A mental health day promotes wellness and self-care, prevents burnout, improves academic performance, and creates a better school environment. Though people stay home when sick, they miss work and get even more stressed. Their only focus should be to heal, but a day off school for mental health would not have the same focus; it would be a day for teens to evaluate themselves. It can be hard to talk about things like mental health, and sometimes, the idea of maintaining a good and healthy mind can make a real difference.  “I was constantly overwhelmed last year and went online, but I did not like that either,” said DBHS sophomore Gemma Blakeney. “If we had mental health days, I would want to come to school because it feels a little less stressful and like my mental matters.” Mental health is essential. If it is not taken care of, it can cause more issues than one would think. Taking those days off is beneficial, and the students feel the same. The idea of less stress, the feeling of being seen and considered by the school and not just another student, can do much good. If days off for mental health were implemented, more students would show up less tired and more ready to learn. Written by Desiree Ponce | Graphic Designed by Desiree Ponce Published Spetember 17, 2024 | ePathfinder | Perspectives
  •  Swords and Claws
    Deadpool & Wolverine come back In addition to the iconic Deadpool series, Deadpool and Wolverine are now working side by side on a mission. The movie Deadpool and Wolverine was released on July 26, 2024, and premiered on July 22, 2024. It came out on Disney+ on July 8th. The casting of this movie includes Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and the director is Shawn Levy. Shawn Levy is known for films like The Adam Project and Free Guy, which both cast Ryan Reynolds. This made it more enjoyable for Ryan. The Deadpool movie series dates back to 2016 when the first film was released on February 12, directed by Tim Miller followed by its second movie on May 18, 2018, directed by David Leich. Deadpool’s story begins with Wade Wilson, Deadpool’s original name, where he attempts to treat his cancer through a nonofficial experiment procedure hoping it will save his life. But in the process, it unlocks his latent mutant abilities and cures him. The man leading this experiment does this all out of Wade’s will so Wade gains extraordinary healing powers but leaves him looking disfigured and not pretty. This leads him to adopt his alter ego, Deadpool. In the latest film, Deadpool and Wolverine work together when Deadpool’s world needs help, then meets Wolverine to save his world from falling apart. Wolverine, originally called Logan is an iconic X-Men character who has mutant abilities and shares a similar past with Deadpool. As the film begins, Deadpool is seen facing a big problem while living his civilian life, his home world is threatened which leads him to finding Wolverine, exploring the different timelines and multiverses to help save his world and the others.  In the Marvel Universe, Deadpool has always been recognized for his sarcastic personality and his ability to break the fourth wall, which makes him different from the rest of the characters. Throughout this intense and violent film, Deadpool and Wolverine grow a humorous dynamic that adds to Deadpool’s personality and gives the audience something new to look forward to.  “This movie is funny while also being full of action which makes it a very well-made and good movie, can’t get bored watching it,” said DBHS junior student Alexa William. The Deadpool and Wolverine film is a mix of intense action and humor as well as emotion. The movie has become a major box office success, getting 79% on Rotton tomatoes. The filming of Deadpool and Wolverine began in May 2023 at Pinewood Studios in England and wrapped in January 2024. The production time was fast, but the production crew, Ryan Reynolds and the cast made it work, staying content with the film’s production. Ever since the release of Deadpool and Wolverine, it has not been said that there would be a film following this one. But many hope this isn’t the end of Deadpool’s reign of adventures. Written by Brianna Rivera | Graphic Designed by Brianna Rivera Published September 11, 2024 | ePathfinder | Entertainment 
  • Revving Up Road Safety
    Driver’s Education Taken to the Next Level Broward County Public Schools is committed to ensuring the safety of unaccustomed drivers through its improved Driver’s Education program. The program focuses on providing real-life driving experience and high-quality instruction for all students. The BCPS Driver’s Education program offers hands-on practice in actual cars, allowing students to gain valuable experience steering real roads and traffic situations. With a fleet of over 90 vehicles, every student has a fantastic opportunity to develop essential driving skills.   The instructors involved in this program are certified. This certification guarantees they meet strict standards set by regulatory authorities, ensuring that students receive quality education from experts. In addition to practical training behind the wheel, BCPS collects data on student performance throughout the course. By analyzing this information regularly, they can identify areas where improvement is needed and continuously enhance teaching methods.   “There is no reason to be nervous because the teachers are good at their job and ingrain how important safety is while driving,” says DBHS junior Eric Miranda. One important aspect of driver’s education is preparing students for exams required to obtain learner’s permits or driver’s licenses. Through vast classroom lessons and targeted practice sessions during driving exercises, BCPS equips suitable learners with the wisdom necessary for success when taking permit or License exams.   For those interested in joining during the Fall 2024 Session, the dates are September 7 to November 2 sessions in the morning last from eight am to eleven forty-five am. During the afternoon, sessions last from 12 pm to 4 pm. Registration opens August 19 at eight am and closes August twenty third at four pm. Eligibility conditions alter based on age criteria and residence within Broward County while attending school there. Participating in BCPS’ Driver’s Education Program comes at no cost as it is free.  By prioritizing educational learning assets through classroom sessions and hands-on practice using actual vehicles under certified supervision, this comprehensive approach prepares young learners for becoming reliable licensed drivers while promoting road safety awareness within the community. Written by Matthew Hernandez | Graphic Designed by Matthew Hernandez Published September 10, 2024 | ePathfinder | News  
  •  A Page Turning Phenomenon 
    The Popularity of BookTok  Reading books was always tied with intelligence and considered a nerdy niche hobby. However, with the rise of BookTok, an online community on the popular social media TikTok, reading has become the ideal leisure activity, with cases overflowing with books. This craze has taken the online world by storm.   There is no definite date for the rise of Book Tok. However, an increase in literature-related content boosted in 2020. The epidemic COVID-19 lockdown had a profound effect on this subject. It provided the perfect opportunity to take up a new pastime. TikTok became an effective tool for communicating book recommendations. BookTok is diverse and offers many different genres that cater to every palette. For instance, Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is a quintessential teen murder mystery with a bit of an edge. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy novel with romance and a dash of politics. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about an old Hollywood starlet who shares the tale of her scandalous career and the seven lovers she met along the way.   With so many popular options, it is invertible that some will not cater to readers. Readers of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker complained about the female lead as an annoying and dumb decision-maker. Some complain that Zodiac Academy by Susanne Valenti doesn’t have the best writing or editing. While these books were considered unsatisfactory, others were titled problematic. These Reviews are on diverse platforms like Goodreads and Barnes & Noble’s website. In the book Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton the main male lead behaves in violent and obsessive ways,  framed as romantic. This book falls into the “touch her and die” category, with several problematic titles. Colleen Hoover’s Slammed displays a teacher/student relationship as aspiring rather than highly inappropriate. Many of Hoover’s novels have come under fire for romanticizing toxic relationships.   With so many different books coming out daily, it’s hard to find one that suits a reader’s taste. With communities like BookTok however, that search becomes much less troubling. Written by Mackenzie Cobbler  | Graphic Designed by Mackenzie Cobbler Published September 9, 2024 | ePathfinder | Feature

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