Learning to let go of toxic friendship: Some friendships are not worth saving.
Carly Swain, Editor-in-Chief
May 3, 2018
Filed under FOCUS
Teenagers are often told to weather the storm. They are encouraged to take the bad with the good and to accept what cannot be changed. In many cases, this resilient and easygoing attitude is completely appropriate, if not necessary, in life. It is important to love friends for who they are, especiall...
Decluttering the diminutive: How organizing the small things can make a big impact
Matthew Mapa, FOCUS EDITOR
May 3, 2018
Filed under FOCUS, LIFESTYLES
When thinking of procrastination, the first thing that comes to mind is schoolwork. Teachers can always be counted on to urge their students to start studying early and refrain from cramming or starting assignments mere days before the due date. Organization, while seen as important, lacks the same em...
Dating in the digital age
Carly Swain, FOCUS EDITOR
February 12, 2018
Filed under FOCUS
In today’s world of senseless Snapchat streaks, staged Instagram posts and over analyzed read receipts, the line between virtual reality and reality is becoming increasingly blurred. If someone breaks a 200-day streak out of the blue, it must mean they want to break off the friendship. If someone do...
Kwality Love Advice
Andrew Kwa, LAYOUT EDITOR
February 6, 2018
Filed under FOCUS
"How do I get over a breakup or old crush?" The sting of rejection that comes with a breakup is painful indeed. It leaves an empty void in our hearts that’s difficult to fill. On the one hand, you could try to fill that void with food (not recommended, see “My 600-lb Life”). On the other han...
Even relaxing stresses me out
CARLY SWAIN, FOCUS EDITOR
December 7, 2017
Filed under FOCUS
High school students don’t have it easy. Between school, homework, sports, play practice and family responsibilities, we live in a world in which there is always something to do. There is always work to get done, progress to be made and goals to work toward. Our parents and teachers constantly ...
Times have changed: Stigmas and shifts surrounding millennials
Matthew Mapa, Caroline Swain, Staff Writer, FOCUS Editor
October 31, 2017
Millennials receive a bad reputation. Articles such as “Millionaire to millennials: Lay off the avocado toast if you want a house” by CNN and “Millennial disconnect: Kids want money but not hard work” by the Miami Herald are just two of many that accuse millennials of being lazy, irrespons...
When cancer gets personal: student reflects on her mother’s battle against breast cancer
Carly Swain, FOCUS EDITOR
October 6, 2017
Filed under FOCUS
Seven years ago, junior Ivie Maher’s life turned upside down. She and her parents were picking up her brother Michael from school when her 40-year-old mother, Wendy, broke the news: she had just been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. “She found out on the first of October, which is kind of ...
Cash combats cancer: What becomes of Breast Cancer Awareness Week donations
Matthew Mapa, Staff Writer
October 5, 2017
Filed under FOCUS
Each October, students participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Week, a tradition started in 2000 to support the late Karyn Shellhase, a former Physical Education coach who was afflicted with the disease. With an entire week dedicated to fundraising, Breast Cancer Awareness Week raises a substantial amoun...
Strike gold with five of Florida’s hidden treasures
CARLY SWAIN, STAFF WRITER
February 22, 2017
Tourists come from all around the world to experience the theme parks in Florida. Disney World, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens are just a few destinations that attract millions of people every year. Still, even the biggest theme-park junkie needs an escape from tourists every once in a...
“La La Land” lands seven Golden Globes
Carly Swain, Staff Writer
January 18, 2017
Filed under FOCUS
In the mid-20th century, movie musicals like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Singin’ in the Rain” were commonplace. However, the modern-day movie theatre holds mostly action and adventure films. It is rare to find a movie musical in the theatre and even rarer for such a film to succeed on a...