Category: Articles

Fixing

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Editorial

To Fix Or Not To Fix

 

Every relationship has its share of ups and downs, but there comes a point where couples must ask themselves a familiar question: do we fix what’s broken, or is it time to call it quits? If and when it comes time to answer that question, it is important to understand the situation at hand and how you got there before making any rash decisions.

There are different reasons why one may sense a shift in the relationship. Perhaps it’s always hard to come to an agreement, or there’s not enough time spent talking or being around each other.

       “You can feel the atmosphere around the person is different,” said Carlos Peña, a Junior at MLEC. “When you’re with someone long enough, you can tell if something’s off.”

       Sometimes these problems can be fixed, or at least worked on. If fighting’s the problem, work on communication. If the issue is not spending time with one another, try figuring out how to manage your schedules to make time for each other.

      “You can probably bounce back from whatever it is by talking to one another and trying to fix the issues occurring in the relationship…Communication is key,” said Tracy Bojorge, an MLEC senior.

      Although there are aspects of a relationship that could be rehabilitated, it can be extremely difficult to know when it’s time to pull the plug on the relationship. Some things can’t be fixed, no matter how hard both parties try.

      “If you’re not happy with the person, why would you stay with them? And If the relationship is toxic, it’s probably not going to get any better,” added Peña.

       There are also the situations in which only one of the two tries to fix the problem. When that’s the case, it is important that the person who is willing to try sees past the sweet talk, and focuses on the actions. A relationship will never work out if there’s only one person trying.

        “If you’re the person trying to fix the relationship, all your effort is useless,” said Lilia Gonzalez, a sophomore at MLEC. “If you’re the person who doesn’t care to fix things, you’re hurting the other person even more, so end things before more damage happens.”

       There’s a difference between giving things a shot and knowing when it’s not working out. So, for all the couples out there: don’t give up because situations get hard, but never stay in a relationship that you’re not happy or respected in.

Materialism

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Editorial

Why Materialistic Relationships Won’t Work

Originally published in The Harbinger

 

As Valentine’s Day rolls around, it’s a guarantee that there will be couples almost everywhere, holding hands, playfully fighting, kissing, or looking at one another with googly eyes. As one looks around though, they might notice that there are two types of couples: those enjoying each other’s love and company, and those together for all of the wrong reasons. Materialism is one of them.

As teenagers, we are constantly told that we don’t understand all there is to love and relationships. The common phrase, “you’re too young to know about love,” is repeated constantly. However, there are pairs that do understand that relationships are much more than gifts and a title, defying that belief.

“I’m not going to freak out if he doesn’t get me something [on an anniversary] because it shouldn’t matter,” said Naomi Ortega, a junior at MLEC.

“It shouldn’t matter. To be honest, the only gift that should matter is the time you spend with them on that day,” said Giancarlo Gonzalez, a junior and Ortega’s boyfriend.

One must understand that materialism in a relationship is not simply giving and receiving gifts. Gifts, handmade or store-bought, can be a way to show appreciation, but are not the only way.

“Sometimes I get [my boyfriend] a gift because I want to be romantic with him and make him feel special,” said sophomore Johanna Figueroa.

Her boyfriend, sophomore Jarell Burks, feels the same way. “Gifts are just a materialistic way to show how much we mean to each other,” he said.

There is no problem with giving one’s partner gifts all the time just because you want to; the issue comes when the gift-giving is all that there is to a relationship.

When that’s the case, the couple will care more about the luxurious aspect of receiving gifts instead of the in-depth meaning, which can lead to many problems.

“An issue with a materialistic relationship is that couples tend to always expect something to be given to them,” said sophomore Katherine Menedez. “Sometimes we can’t get a gift, and if that expectation isn’t met it can cause big problems and conflict in a relationship.”

There is no benefit in being materialistic: it takes out any significance in a relationship. A materialistic couple is not happier, more successful, nor do they function better than a couple that isn’t.

“A materialistic couple depends on gifts to keep the relationship stable. A couple that isn’t materialistic has other ways to do that, such as spending time together and just conversing,” added Gonzalez.

There is no true bond, love, or understanding in a materialistic relationship. All in all, being with someone for the material things they provide is pointless and brings no true fulfillment.

“The majority of people have materialistic tendencies, but it’s something you have to get rid of in order to be truly happy,” added Ortega.

Being in a relationship solely based on materialism won’t make anyone in the relationship happy, so don’t look for fulfillment in one. It won’t work.

Besides Christmas

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Editorial

You know Dasher and Dancer, but Not Umoji and Nia

Originally Published on The Harbinger

As one walks down the aisles of a department store, shining ornaments, inflatable snowmen, assorted stockings, and green and red can be seen all around, yet there is not one dreidel or kinara in sight.

What many fail to realize is that Christmas is not the only holiday in December, nor the most important; it’s simply the most commercialized.

Everyone knows the story of old Saint Nicholas, and yet there are many who don’t know the history behind Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the days its celebrated, or even their duration.

“[The] majority of the people here celebrate Christmas,” said Allyson Bojorge, a senior at MLEC. “They know that there are individuals who celebrate different holidays, but they brush them off, and I think that makes some people feel left out. No one should have to feel left out.”

The first thing one must know about Hanukkah is that it takes place around December, sometimes late November. It always begins the 25th day of Kislev, which is the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year (Hebrew Calendar). However, this date varies within the more commonly used Gregorian calendar.

The story of Hanukkah is centered around the belief that miracles are indeed real, and that there is great strength in numbers.

It is said that when the Jews were able to take back their temple after it was destroyed, they only found enough oil to light the menorah for one day, but miraculously, it lasted for eight.  

Therefore, Hanukkah, the Jewish “Festival of Lights,” is celebrated for eight days, and on each day the ninth candle is used to light another candle on the menorah.

The days are filled with special songs, prayers, giving and receiving gifts, and eating foods fried with oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes). The dreidel, a spinning top with four sides, is also played with during the holiday.  

Just as Christmas has its importance to the different people that celebrate it, to many, Hanukkah has great significance and meaning.

“It’s a constant reminder of the miracles that impact our lives, an inspiring sense of hope and the ability to trust in what you believe to guide the future,” said Hadassah Weiner Friedman, a teacher at Sabal Palm Elementary School, who celebrates Hanukkah.

Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday, is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. The holiday follows seven principles: Umoji, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Nia, and Imani (unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith).

Every night a candle is lit on the kinara. There are seven in total—one black, three red, and three green—that each represent a principle. Each day, one of the principles is discussed, and typically stories are told, songs are sung, dances are performed, and conventional are meals eaten.

Like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa holds a special place in the hearts of those that celebrate it. The holiday is of much importance to them.

“During Kwanzaa, I usually spend the day with my whole family and we share nothing but laughter, food, music, and love,” said Stephanie Beaumont, a front desk manager at The Strand, a hotel on South Beach, and Kwanzaa lover. “No matter what, family is all we have. The holidays mean so much to me… that’s the time I get to be with my friends and family, and share fun moments [with] them.”

However, neither holiday is given enough recognition. There aren’t as many menorahs as ornaments and stockings seen at public places, and there are even fewer kinaras.

“I’ve never seen a kinara in person before. I’ve only seen them in pictures or movies,” said Briana Sterling, a sophomore at MLEC.

Christmas isn’t the only important holiday that takes place during the “holiday season,” and we shouldn’t act like that’s the case. It is unfair to prioritize one holiday when there is still so much to learn about the different cultures around us.

Hurricanes

by Rhobie Toussaint, posted in Articles, Editorial

 

How Humans Are Affecting Hurricanes

 

Originally published in the The Harbinger

Hurricane Irma brought panic, distress, damage, and trauma to South Florida. Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and many other areas were battered with heavy rainfall and falling trees. Hundreds of lives were lost and recovery was difficult.

Everyday, it is becoming more apparent that the climate is changing and that humans are playing a role in that change. It’s alarming to know that human actions have an impact on the hurricane season.

Chopping down forests, driving cars, and burning fossil fuels all emit greenhouse gases and all are completed through human actions. When greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide are emitted into the environment, the air becomes polluted and the oceans become warmer. Not only does air pollution put people in harm’s way, but it also warms the atmosphere. When the atmosphere warms, it adds on to global warming, which contributes to the production of intense hurricanes.

“Human-made global warming creates conditions that increases the chances of extreme weather,” states the Union of Concerned Scientists, a group of scientists and engineers who are dedicated to solving world problems such as global warming. Unfortunately, there are not enough concerned people in the world.

People seem to have a habit of  belittling serious problems, and this is one of them. For years, instead of showing concern for the growing issue, individuals deny global warming’s existence. They continue to cut down trees, burn coal, dump oil into the ocean, litter. Now, there’s a dirty environment, melting glaciers, and intense hurricanes that are causing the deaths of many. Yet, the coal burning, oil dumping, tree cutting, and littering doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Evidence shows that global warming can cause hurricanes to intensify. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions project a 45 to 87 percent increase in the intensification of hurricanes, meaning much more intense, although less frequent, hurricanes. The amount of category four and five hurricanes will continue to increase unless action is taken. If there’s anything to learn from Katrina, Harvey, Matthew, Irma, Lane, and Michael, it’s that these natural disasters pose a threat to the lives and homes of others.

Within the next century, sea levels are projected to rise one to four feet. As the atmosphere warms, glaciers melt, sea levels rise, and that presents an opportunity for the frequency of storm surges and storm floods to increase, leading to more destruction and death.

“It is likely that greenhouse warming will cause hurricanes in the coming century to be more intense globally and have higher rainfall rates than present-day hurricanes” concluded the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL).

Every time someone burns a forest, they’re impacting hurricane season. Everytime someone burns a fossil fuel, another is at risk at getting harmed in a devastating hurricane. Everytime the ocean warms, there’s room for a hurricane to intensify and cause damage to the lives of others.

However, new discoveries and advances in technology provide the resources necessary to find ways to produce fuel without burning fossils fuels and emitting carbon dioxide into the air. Instead of degrading our environment by burning fossil fuels, synthetic gas that isolates carbon dioxide can be made. More funds can be used to research alternative ways to produce energy without emitting greenhouse gases. Even the little things, such as carpooling can be of aid.

Every year, there are reports of floods, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes that take a toll on people’s lives. It is important that humans, the ones who are supposed to take care of the environment, do so. With plenty of resources available, plenty of ways to inform the public, and plenty of people to come up with ideas, there’s no reason why people can’t have a positive impact on the environment and attempt to lower the intensity of hurricanes.

Everyone owes that to themselves, the environment, and their safety.