The award-winning student news site of Olympic Heights High School

The Torch

  • OH Boys Weightlifting team won Regional Championship on 4/5! Good luck at the state championship!
  • Congratulations to our amazing theatre teacher Kimberly Coyle for being named a Dwyer Finalist for Senior High Education!
  • For the second consecutive year, the Olympic Heights girls soccer team is the 7A district 2023-2024 Academic Team Champion
  • Congratulations Florida DECA State Champions 2024: Katelynne Deale, Tai Graham, and Elsie Throckmorton!
  • Girls Soccer Coach Jim Cappello is coach of the year, leading the lions to 21 victories, and their eighth straight regional appearance.
  • Soccer: Senior Ava Cardaci was selected 7A District 12 Player of the Year with 15 goals and 27 assists.
The award-winning student news site of Olympic Heights High School

The Torch

The award-winning student news site of Olympic Heights High School

The Torch

TEACHER FEATURE: Dr. Seth Alper

TEACHER FEATURE: Dr. Seth Alper

February 15, 2022

How many years have you been teaching, and how many of those have been at Olympic Heights?  -I have been teaching for 18 years, and this is my third year at Olympic Heights. What courses are you...

The Betty White Challenge, a fund raising campaign for animal support groups, was launched to honor the actress, a strong supporter of animal causes, after her Dec. 31 death.

Betty White Challenge raises millions for animal groups

Brooke Smurlick, Staff Writer February 14, 2022

An incredible movement has commenced in honor of Betty White, who recently passed away. White was a beloved actress, known for her roles in many hit television shows and movies. Some of her most notable...

Many have made assumptions about the Encanto character Luisa based only on her appearance.

Encanto’s strong Hispanic characters being misappropriated

Sophia Dorris, Staff Writer February 3, 2022

The Disney film Encanto, released in November 2021, centers around the Madrigal family and their magical house, specifically the character Mirabel. Every member of the family, not including those married...

Bryan Llenas, Olympic Heights alumnus and Fox News National Correspondent.

Olympic Heights c/o 2006 graduate Bryan Llenas is living his dream as a national news correspondent for Fox News

Jessica Abramsky, Editor-In-Chief January 31, 2022

Bryan Llenas is a class of 2006 Olympic Heights graduate, a University of Miami (UM) graduate, and a current Fox News national correspondent. Llenas attended UM with a double major in journalism and political...

Xenobots, living organism robots, are made up of thousands of skin cells from the embryo of the African clawed frog.

Scientists using living organism robots to perform tasks ranging from radioactive waste collection to artery cleaning

Brooke Smurlick, Staff Writer January 7, 2022

Scientists from the University of Vermont, Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Tufts University have designed a new form of life: a Xenobot. Xenobots fall somewhere...

Once considered a fad, cryptocurrency value is skyrocketing

Once considered a fad, cryptocurrency value is skyrocketing

Martand Agarwal, Features Editor January 6, 2022

Cryptocurrency, which has gained popularity over the past several years, was developed in 1983 when David Chaum, a computer scientist, created eCash. eCash is a secure and anonymous way to transfer money....

There has been a growing outcry against the higher prices for products targeting female consumers.

Women are fed up with “Pink Tax” on feminine products

Sophia Dorris, Staff Writer December 21, 2021

Women have long been aware that prices for products designed for them are priced higher than those designed for men, a price-gouging practice known as the “pink tax.” The pink tax is applied to menstrual...

It is not uncommon to see manatees with scars from being hit by boat propellers. Not all manatees survive the encounter, which is one factor contributing to increasing death rate of the species.

Florida manatees dying off at an alarming rate

Eva Woods, Staff Writer December 15, 2021

The Florida manatee, which eats approximately 10 percent of their body weight every day, is experiencing a rapidly growing death rate due to a lack of available food in the form of water grasses, weeds,...

In the November 2021 issue, the latest Superman, Jon Kent, is pictured in a same-sex relationship with his friend Jay Nakamura.

DC Comics’ major superheroes revealed to be LGBTQ

Sophia Dorris, Staff Writer December 8, 2021

DC Comics has made major announcements over the past few months concerning some of their younger characters by announcing that the characters Tim Drake, more commonly known as Robin, and Jonathan Kent,...

Poachers continue to kill elephants at an alarming rate for their ivory tusks which can bring thousands of dollars.

Elephant populations endangered due to tusk poaching

Zoe Siegel, Social Media Editor December 5, 2021

Long a problem, elephant populations continue to significantly decrease due to illegal poaching and the high demand for ivory products. Elephants are among the most intelligent animals on the earth, with...

In 2019, PETA euthanized 57 percent of the dogs and 72 percent of the cats it took in, according to a Newsweek report.

Animal rights organization PETA euthanization rate alarming

Christopher Santos, Staff Writer November 29, 2021

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) best known for its animal rights advocacy and fighting against animal cruelty is garnering attention for being responsible for an alarming number...

Mental health issues an overlooked side effect of pandemic

Mental health issues an overlooked side effect of pandemic

Eva Woods, Staff Writer November 25, 2021

Mental health is a concerning issue in the world. This is especially true during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as people were quarantined in their houses resulting in increased feelings of isolation,...

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