MDCPS Opens Its School Doors
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THE HARBINGER Empowering young minds through information Miami Lakes Educational Center September 2020 ~ Vol. XXII No. 2 5780 NW 158th St Miami Lakes, FL MDCPS Opens Its School Doors midst of the constant criticism guidelines established to By Samantha Jimenez that MDCPS has been facing re- make sure that we have a @SammyJ1003 garding the K-12 controversy. smart and safe return to However, nothing was indefinite school. Our expectation For the past two months, until the school board’s emergen- is safety,” said MLEC ad- Center Educational Lakes Miami students have been diligently cy meeting regarding the strong ministrator Mrs. Cordova. working from their bedroom desks suggestion to start earlier than ex- “We are committed or dining table as they adjusted to pected from the state level, which to providing a high level of a new way of learning. Whether took place just this past Tuesday. education and an enhanced After much debate and reimagined plans, they wanted to return to school or For some, this return is student and staff experience, MDCPS is opening its schools, and MLEC has not, the question always lingered: all that they have been wanting all while respecting the guide- implemented their own way of making this return safe when will we be able to step foot ever since problems spurred up lines we have shared with our in our familiar school building? online, while others rather stay in staff and students to maintain their able to physically engage in about. For some, it is a possible Ever since the 2020- the comfort of their own home and health and safety,” she continued. a safe manner. Therefore, we sign for a true sense of normal- 2021 school year began, stu- wait until things get much better. For students who are need to be patient and hope cy that they have been search- dents were mostly in the dark “I’m staying online be- returning to school, they should for the best,” he continued. ing for ever since COVID-19 regarding the possible return cause I truly see no point in go- expect mandatory masks, social Beyond MLEC altered the lives of many. to school. Nothing was ever ing back if we’re just going to distancing protocols— which students, administrators Plenty of concerns have for certain, no clear view of do the same thing we are doing will be directed by signs across have also echoed this state- been expressed throughout the what the future held for MD- online,” said MLEC Medical As- the school campus— and other ment, hoping not only for course of these past few weeks, CPS students— until now. sistant senior Stephanie Fages. precautions such as plexiglass an interactive environment, but the sentiment that students, A solid answer has “My concern is that it separations and tape markings. but a safe one above it all. parents, and teachers all echo is been given and a plan has fi- might be stressful for the teachers Besides the adminis- “It requires a higher lev- the simple hope of everyone stay- nally been shared with teach- and there might be many miscom- tration’s efforts to accommodate el of creativity in finding ways to ing safe and abiding by any new ers, students, and parents alike. munications between physical and this new era of schooling, class connect with students, but it is a procedures. After all, the results Announced by MDCPS Su- online students,” she continued. officers are preparing for a school challenge that we have eagerly of this return is dependent on the perintendent Alberto Carvhalo, For jaguars in particular, year with fewer events while also embraced.” stated Mrs. Cordova. actions of those who enter those schools will be gradually open- this upcoming school year is go- maintaining school spirit— a feat “Everyone just wants school doors day in and day out. ing beginning on October 5th, ing to be vastly different due to the that has been widely questioned to feel some sort of “normal,” “As a new Jaguar, I am with a few days in between each circumstances, and administra- among students, yet thorough- so I personally believe that be- excited to be a part of this unique group that is scheduled to return. tion has taken this time to imple- ly discussed by student leaders. ing back at school will give family. I have high hopes for us Pre-K through 1st grad- ment new procedures and precau- “My officers and I some semblance of that to many, being able to make it through ers are set to return October 5th, tions to ensure safety at MLEC. have been discussing possible but this is definitely going to this successfully, without sacri- grades 2-6 as well as 9th and 10th From social distanc- events, activities, and fundrais- be a different experience for ficing the vision we have for an graders on October 7th, and the re- ing to class sizes to lunch ers that we can potentially exe- all of us,” Cordova continued. awesome staff and student ex- maining grade levels October 9th. breaks, students will have cute. However, a lot is still un- Going back to physical perience. Our connection and The announcement a completely new experi- certain,” said MLEC Class of school is almost unfamiliar to desire to “power up” will pro- came shortly after Miami Dade ence in these teal buildings. 2021 President Raymond Hung. some students at this point; how- pel us through this, and we will went into Phase 2 and more re- “The school has been “Our administrators ever, it is a decision that some emerge stronger. That is the na- cently Phase 3, as well as in the paying close attention to the are making sure that we’re people are trying to be optimistic ture of a Jaguar,” said Cordova. How The Online Generation May Views of Voting-by-Mail Affect The 2020 Election During the 2020 Election By Vanessa Falcon Generation Z can now vote— and they’re voting Democratic. By Anthony Vidal During this pandemic, @VanessaFalcxn The urge to vote is strong. people have come to the con- @ AnthonyVidalR clusion that it would be more When it comes down As the 2020 elections are convenient to vote by mail in to the ballots, Gen Z does not approaching, it seems like ques- order to stay at home. On the mess around. The 2020 elec- tions are arising and there hasn’t other hand, others believe that tion is just around the corner been much answers. The two par- regardless of the convenience and young voters might change ty foundation of the nation has it may provide there is a chance things— for better or for worse. led to opposing views in almost for error and this could af- In a study done by Pew anything. One proposal that has fect the results of the election. Research Center, only about been caught in the middle of these “I think voting by 30% of Gen Z voters approve of controversies has been the issues mail is a great option for vot- Trump and his administration, surrounding voting-by-mail. ing, especially during the time a 13% difference from Baby Usually when four years of COVID. After everything I Boomers, which counts up to pass and it is time to vote again, got diagnosed with COVID a 43%. Another 2016 study con- the only question in a voter’s mind few months ago; I know that ducted by the same research cen- is to choose from a candidate or it’s something that’s needed,”- ter shows that each generation the other. However, as we are fac- said Angie Nixon, Florida state becomes more and more liberal. representative for District-14. www.cincinnati.com ing a pandemic this year, many A separate study done by Huff- slowly becoming more diverse as believe that your doesn’t matter, more questions keep popping up. “But I also think some Post shows that 83% of black the years go on, this could signify that it won’t make a change,” says One of these questions has been of the supervisors of election people vote Democrat, with 70% a major drop in Republican votes. Jacob Merkle, a representative of how people are going to vote. offices should take it a step fur- Latinx folk also voting Democrat. Both presidential candidates When We All Vote. “These kids In only 28 states, in- ther and allow for the ballots “In the United States, the white Trump and Biden highlight- don’t realize how powerful they cluding the state of Florida, the to be dropped off at the voting share of the population is declin- ed the importance of voting, to are, how their words affect others.” option of open vote by mail ex- sites and have drop-boxes lo- ing as Hispanic, Asian, and black which the current issues plagu- “I see it in the kids I work ists, meaning anyone can regis- cated outside of some of the populations grow. But the shift to ing America further enforced that with, Gen Z is ready to take over ter to vote through USPS. The election offices,”she continued. a more diverse nation is happen- motion. With the Black Lives the world and make a change,” other 17 states give the option to Drop-boxes are one ing more quickly in some places Matter protests, and COVID continues Merkle. “The hardest vote by mail but only for speci- of the safest ways of voting by than in others,” says Jens Manuel cases still being an issue, many part of it all is getting started.” fied causes, illnesses being the mail.