Countryside High School Paw Print Newspaper Volume 31 Issue 2 by Center for New Media

Tackling the gay marriage debate pg. 3

THE COUNTRYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

U P

ent er

3000 S.R. 580

Friday, October 30, 2009 - VOLUME 31, Issue 2 www.cnmcountryside.com

History of Horror josieLIND-HAWK

staff writer People everywhere celebrate Halloween in a plethora of different ways, and of course, some don’t celebrate Halloween at all. I am here to expose the truth about the “Hallowday” most of us have come to love. Falling on the 31st of every October, Halloween has become a favorite of children and adolescents who love to dress up as ghouls, warlocks and witches... with the occasional princess. Halloween is a night of trick-or-treating, bonfires, carving pumpkins, parties, and horror films on your favorite television channel. How did Halloween first start? How did it morph into what it is today, and why do we celebrate it? The green face, the large nose with a wart on it, ghouls and ghosts; what’s more appealing than Halloween? Back when Halloween was first introduced, it was frequently called “All Hallows Eve,” due to the fact that Halloween originated in the Catholic Church. November 1st was considered “All Saints Day,” a Catholic holiday in honor of saints. The old story of All Hallows Eve states that on this day, all of the dead spirits from the previous year would return to find a new living body to possess for one more year. Many believed it was the spirit’s only hope of an afterlife.Obviously, nobody wanted to be possessed. They wanted October 31st to be miserable for any spirits wanting to take their bodies, so they’d make their houses cold with fire extinguishers, dress up in ugly disguises and run around their town making loud noises and causing chaos. Another thing that is said is that when there were a lot of hungry, desperate people who lacked a home, the Catholic Church allowed beggars to go “souling,” where they would go door to door asking for food in exchange for a prayer. The prayers were believed to help the already dead spirits gain entrance into Heaven. Of course, over time things get distorted and

newer, more modern versions are created, where we dress up and get handed candy for no real reason. Halloween isn’t all fun and games, though. In 2005, in Delaware, a woman chose to hang herself on Halloween. Many, many people drove past her, thinking it was just an expert Halloween decoration. There have also been many teenagers who have “pretended” to hang

themselves as a prank on Halloween, who ended up accidentally hanging themselves. Many popular television shows have also found a way to cash in on Halloween. Everyone loves a “HallowHorror” every now and then. Almost every seasonal television show, like The Simpsons and Hannah Montana, have aired a Halloween episode each season. Adding a little creep to their series. Opinions vary about which spooky movie is the all-time best. “Even though it’s not particularly a Halloween movie, Psycho is one of my favorites to watch on Halloween,” says senior, Kenneth Marshall. Speaking of Halloween media, children aren’t the only people interested in scary movies. Mothers around the globe love to sit down with their kids and watch things like ‘It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.’ Freshman, Jasmin Rasor, defends the movie, saying, “I have loved that movie ever since I was, like, four.” Halloween is also used as an excuse to invite twohundred of your closest friends to a party, staying out all night in costumes. Junior, Kim Danilla ﬁlled us in on her photo credit DevilzMoon & Nicole Bolton

continued on page 4

PAW

PR I

Halloween movies reviewed pg. 5

Howl-O-Scream re-cap pg. 4

www.cnmcountryside.com

di for New Me

IN THIS ISSUE...

Clearwater, FL 33761

Why Halloween isn’t so scary rachelLUBITZ

editor As with most historical beginnings, Halloween’s past has been blurred by falsified tales. The beginning of the tradition on October 31 started with the Celtic festival, Samhain. Samhain was the beginning of the harvest season and the day before that was the day where two worlds collided, the living and the dead. Several cultures have come to embrace the idea of two worlds coming together on the last day of October but it is the religious aspect that created a tailspin. When Christianity was trying to dominate the world as we know it, a mixture began to take place. Paganism was practiced through certain parts of southern Europe and when Christianity began to spread, a more influential date was cast. October 31st was supposed to be All Saints Day but with the curious mixture, it became Halloween. The religious aspect sprouted from the start. November 1st was the beginning of harvest and the day before was when the deaths of saints was to be celebrated. Pagans today see Halloween as a day to honor the dead, not as dead people but as living and protecting spirits. The trick or treat origin may have come from Samhain, where the spirits would come to their old houses and the people would try to ward them off with fruits and nuts. The pumpkin was a sign of a dead soul, and were used to frighten off evil spirits in the front of homes. The fear of nocturnal animals was also rooted in religion. People feared that since the animals were most active at night, they could communicate with the dead. Religion has taken a stronghold on the haunted holiday and is still holding on strong. Our most vivid traditions and visions of Halloween are rooted in Celtic and Pagan rituals and ideas. October 31st is not all witches and pumpkins for nothing. Every tradition, ritual, and song may have its past in an ancient life that has since faded away.

Jack brings out the Halloween spirit krystalCASEY

editor-in-chief

Pumpkin season has ﬂourished and many pumpkin patched are popping up in the area. Every year, during the month of October, about eighty percent of pumpkins are supplied in the United States. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word “pepon” which means large melon. “Pepon” became known as pumpkin when the French changed “pepon” to “pompon”. Later the English changed “pompon” to “pumpion.” Finally, the American colonist changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin.” Pumpkins are believed to have originated somewhere in the Americas around 7000 B.C. They are a member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers. Pumpkins are about ninety percent water and contain potassium and vitamin A. Not only are pumpkins orange, but they are also white, gray, blue, red and green. The average pumpkin weighs between 5 to 20 pounds. The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,502 pounds.

Today, many pumpkins are used for canned preparations. About 85% are canned, leaving 15% for Jack O’ Lanterns and other uses. Jack-o-lanterns, the symbol of Halloween, are based on

photo credit Scott Beck

an old Irish Legend about Jack, an Irish blacksmith, who loved to play tricks on everyone. One night, Jack crosses paths with the Devil at a Pub. Not wanting to pay for any of his drinks, Jack tricks the Devil by convincing him to turn himself into a coin that he could use to buy their drinks. So the Devil turned himself

into a coin. Instead of buying the drinks, Jack decides to keep the money. He puts it into his pocket next to a silver cross, preventing the Devil from changing back into his original form. Eventually, Jack frees the Devil, with the understanding that the Devil would not bother Jack for one year. After that, if Jack should die, he would not be able to claim his soul. A year later, Jack and the Devil stumble upon each other. Jack, being the mischievous person he is, tricks the Devil into climbing up a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While up in the tree, he carves a cross into its bark, leaving the Devil stranded until promises not to bother Jack for ten more years. Soon after, Jack dies. The Devil, upset by the tricks Jack had played on him, kept his word, and did not claim his soul. He sends Jack oﬀ into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack puts the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly ﬁgure as “Jack of the Lantern,” or as many know it to be, “Jack O’Lantern.” Many of the Irish and Scottish people began making their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away the wandering evil spirits.

News

FAME conference gives media inspiration kathrynWILLIAMS

staﬀ writer

On September 30, 2009, the Marriott World Center in Orlando hosted the 37th Annual F.A.M.E. conference and the Jim Harbin Awards. The F.A.M.E. conference (The Florida Association for Media in Education) was a venue for media specialists to learn about new teaching techniques and technology. The media specialists also had the chance to buy books for their libraries and classrooms. The highlight of the day was the time designated to meet some of the best teen and kids authors and receive autographs. Media specialists had the opportunity to attend meetings and workshops. A large area, known as the exhibition hall was set up, just for this event. Kiosks that sold books and explained the latest classroom technologies, lined the exhibition hall. Our own librarian, Mrs. Rothfeld, said she learned a lot from the experience. “It is an opportunity for professional development. To learn, to grow, and to expand my knowledge. I got to present this year, and to have people listen to me! It has an amazing impact on media development.” The conference didn’t just beneﬁt the teachers; it will beneﬁt the students as well. Debbie Svec, president of FAME, explains how important this conference is to everyone. “This conference gives the teachers an opportunity

to learn about the technology that you students are so fluent in. When the teachers learn this information, they can bring new ideas to the classroom which benefit the students tremendously.” The best part of the day was talking to the authors. They all had amazing stories to tell and advice to give. Ridley Pearson, author of the Peter and the Starcatchers and the Kingdom Keepers series, had some great advice for aspiring authors. “Writing is like acting. I write mystery novels for adults and action adventure novels for kids. When I’m writing, I take on the character I’m writing about. One minute I may be a pirate, and the next I’m a beautiful woman, and the next I’m a kid. If I don’t put myself into the character, how can I really understand him or her? You have to sell your writing.” Stephanie Tolan has a great remedy for writers block. “Tell yourself before you go to sleep that you want an answer in the morning. It gives you a deadline to have an idea and most of the time, you’ll have something.” Margret Peterson Haddix talked about how journalism influenced her being a writer. “My first book, Running Out of Time…grew out of my newspaper story when I was a newspaper reporter. Being in journalism was a great experience. It got me to write on a regular basis.” Jay Asher explains his fears about Thirteen Reasons Why and where the story came from.

“I was a little nervous about how people would take the book. I have a relative that tried to attempt suicide at the main character’s age.” Peg Kehret was very open about what inspires her to write, and her favorite book that she has written. “I had polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. I learned a lot about myself and it inspires me to write. It also was the topic of my book Small Steps, which explains my experience during that time.” Cassandra Clare, author of the Mortal Instruments series, did not come to the FAME conference. She, unfortunately, had the swine flu. As the day ended, everyone went to their hotel rooms, and prepared for the next day to come. On October 1st, students elementary to high school age, would arrive for the Jim Harbin Awards. They would receive awards for the videos they created and even get signed books from the authors present. For some kids, it’s their first time winning an award. For others, it just feels good to be appreciated for their work. Either way, everyone walked away happy. The FAME conference and the meet the author section was a great experience for the reporters, teachers, and the students. Everyone came away from it, with new knowledge and the venue was nothing short of magnificent. Congratulations to all of the students that won an award and good luck getting there next year.

Sick as a dog? More like a pig! C-side has spirit kathrynWILLIAMS

meganMASON

news editor

It’s a tradition in nearly every High School across the country. It’s a week that brings together some fun, friends, and lots of school spirit. Since 1974, Countryside has welcomed the tradition of Spirit Week and over the years the CHS faculty has witnessed some pretty crazy outfits. This year, with the arrival of Class of 2013, Spirit Week topped an all time high. Countryside has transformed from Hollister-clad, Billabong-adorned teenagers, into full-fledged dweebs, geezers, and hippies. It’s a tradition in nearly every High School across the country. It’s a week that brings together some fun, friends, and lots of school spirit. Since 1974, Countryside has welcomed the tradition of Spirit Week and over the years the CHS faculty has witnessed some pretty crazy outfits. This year, with the arrival of Class of 2013, Spirit Week topped an all time high. Countryside has transformed from Hollister-clad, Billabong-adorned teenagers, into full-fledged dweebs, geezers, and hippies.

“Spirit Week is a great excuse to wear those dorky dress clothes, and crazy bright

leggings -- without people making fun of you!” photo credit Scott Beck

Disease Control). As for notices, Dr. Janssen has put out staff writer a county-wide message talking to parents about the flu. Halloween may be coming up but the haunted houses Principal Schlereth tells parents what’s best to do when and costumes are are not as scary as the dreaded H1N1. their child has H1N1. Swine Flu is a growing epidemic in the United States. “Call the school...office. Let us know.” said Schlereth. According to FluTracker.com, there are 6345 cases of The reason there isn’t an accurate count of the amount the H1N1 Swine Flu in Florida and 106 cases confirmed of students that have the swine flu is because a lot of in Pinellas County. Six of the Pinellas cases were fatal. parents don’t report it. Notices have been sent out to students with reminders Rita Becchetti, Supervisor of School Heath Services, regarding normal health precautions: wash your hands, sent me the letter that was for the principals regarding cough or sneeze in a tissue, avoid touching your eyes, H1N1. There were multiple rules, most of which have nose, and mouth, etc. Our school as even gone so far been followed and are standard procedure. as to adorn our school concourse There must be a letter sent home with hand sanitizer dispensers and to students after they have been Principal Schlereth also went so sent home with the flu. This letter far as to buy hand sanitizer for tells parents that may not know the teachers, but are they really anything about the swine flu, doing enough? Does the school really what the precautions and proceknow how many students have swine flu? dures are: stay home until fever free from Has a message been sent to the parents on 24 hours, hand-washing, etc. This also means how to handle the issue? There is one simple that the principal is aware that this child is solution to our Swine Flu dilemma, and it starts sick and can have a running record of the ph with communication. students with or without signs of the flu. oto cre Th ere are letters for the emergencies such di as the school having a absentee rate of 10% In today’s day and age there are so many ways to t ww w or greater. The CDC also suggests that the get important information from the school to the parents. .ahy ap schools should show videos and/or display .co The school also has a marvelous calling system. Most m posters describing good hygiene. This also of us have heard it; the principal calls us and reminds us includes messages in the morning announcements. about upcoming events or ongoing issues at the school. Overall, the school has been doing an sufficient job Announcements range from reminders to get a good handling Swine Flu and could do better regarding parennights sleep before FCAT or that the exemption policy tal communication. A letter has been sent home this year has changed. Why haven’t we heard a message regardto parents and sick students have been properly cared for. ing the Swine Flu and how parents should be handling A consent form for receiving the H1N1 vaccine during it? Parents are calling their the teachers of their children school has gone home to parents through their students. regarding the condition of their child, and teachers are The process of administering this vaccine is described by not contacting the administrative figures. our principal as “a work in progress.” Parents, don’t forIn truth, the school’s policies regarding H1N1 come get to contact the front office if your child has swine flu. from the Pinellas County Health Department who is It’s important to keep a running record of how many kids getting their information from the CDC (Center for have been diagnosed and can help school officials know what types of precautionary measures need to occur next. For more information on the flu, go to http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/, http://www. cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ga.htm, www.cdc.gob, www. doh.state.flu.us,www. pinellasheath.com, call the Pinellas Health Department at (727) 824-6900, or contact School Health Services at (727) 588-6320.

- Raven Cox, 10th

Opinion Marriage is fab-u-lous justineLESSARD

staﬀ writer

For According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “to marry” means “to take as spouse.” There are many debates about same-sex marriage. Each side supplies their own justification as to why their side is correct. Traditional marriage advocates tend to say things such as, “the Bible says marriage should be between a man and a woman,” “it is just not right,” and “it should just be a civil union, not a marriage.” These points can be easily rebutted, because the Bible has many interpretations. For example the Bible says in Dueteronomy 22:13-21, “If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately” and in Leviticus18:19, “The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman’s period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.” Should this be taken literally? Maybe we should look at everything before we judge. Civil unions provide the same benefits as marriage, but use a different name. It’s sort of a “separate but equal” concept. Erika Madden, a 16-year-old bisexual student says, “it should be the exact rights that a man and woman have,” when asked whether a civil union would be more appropriate for same-sex couples. She goes on to say, “it’s a sexuality, not a trend. I like girls.” With similar views on the subject, a Senior and lesbian, Korin Schlechty, says, “I think we have a right to be married, it doesn’t matter your sexuality.” I hate to compare the two, but separate schools for African-Americans was also a “separate but equal” concept that we don’t keep around today. Text in the Bible says that it is “natural” that a man and woman come together to create children. The interpretation some people have created from the previous statement is that anything other than a man and a woman together is “unnatural,” although the Bible never directly states this point of view. The Bible is just a guide, not the definitive word. The Bible is silent about many relationships that do not produce children-such as those who are unable to have children due to medical reasons and people who don’t want children. Nobody has interpreted the Bible as saying, “men or women who cannot produce children are unnatural.” There is also controversy surrounding same-sex adoptions. A few traditional marriage advocates have said they wouldn’t be so against same-sex marriage if it wasn’t for the couple’s possibility of adopting kids. A 24-year-old graduate of Oberlin College, Rebecca Meiksin, says, “I have never felt any pressure to be gay, although I did take my boyfriend to a gay pride parade once, which was a real trip for him.” She also says she has never felt any different from anyone else just because she was raised by a lesbian mother. Most studies have found that lives

of children raised by a same-sex couple are no better or worse than the lives of children raised by heterosexual couples. In my opinion, and in 55% of 100 students randomly surveyed, marriage is for everyone. It shouldn’t be a privilege only available to heterosexual couples, or any other select group. America is known for being a free and equal country, these equalities and freedoms shouldn’t be taken away from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. josee HAWK

staﬀ writer

Against There is a for and against side for every controversial topic. I’m making a point that same-sex marriage should not be legal. I believe it is morally incorrect and goes against the Bible. I’m not the only one to think so; when randomly polling Countryside High School Students, 18% of students wrote “against,” 25% wrote “undecided,” or scribbled “don’t care” on the back, and 2% wrote “for, but not called marriage,” which is essentially a civil union agreement. Nearly 1/4th of the students disapprove of same-sex marriage. If we take a good look at science, a negative charge and a negative charge cannot attract, in fact they repel. Our whole world of theories and philosophys would turn upside down if the magnetic field broke down and allowed the same charges to pull together. Whereas a negative charge (men) and a positive charge (women) attract to each other and stay that way (marriage). Studies show that gay teen suicide attempts are four times that of heterosexual youth. Children get picked on for their sexual origin every day. Lesbians and gays fighting for their rights for marriage, are discriminated against, and often are victims of hate crimes. When asked about this, Junior Jason Berlin, simply stated, “it’s not worth all that, just give up, go with that civil union thing, it’s all the same and it’s just like…I don’t know. I’m not for and I’m not against, I just don’t see the point of fighting for something that the whole world will hate you for.” A good point, considering marriage was founded on a biblical origin and many Christians do not believe in same sex marriage. Hannah Helms is proof; she is a 15year-old heterosexual Christian and says “I believe in the Bible, even if I don’t completely understand every concept that is in it. I suppose that it’s the way we were made. However, I certainly do not think that all homosexuals are Hell-ridden. Not at ALL.” What happened to marriage? To get married is a very important and significant event in the lives’ of almost everyone. Especially for women, marriage and giving birth to a child could be the two biggest events of their lives.

Heard it through the grapevine

really came out of your mouth. Now there are those who stay true to their friends and In the dictionary, the word drama means listen to both sides of the story and help by turmoil in real life. In today’s society, drama giving advice. When your in the midst of an argument, is a word used to describe a fake, hypocritiyou try your hardest to stand tall and show cal, over-dramatic situation. Every pre-teen that nothing is bothering you but once that and teenager and sometimes even adults 7th bell rings and your free to go home, you have to deal with this crisis. Everyone feeds just break down and feel like you have lost off of drama either because their bored or all control. just like the attention that they receive once You can’t they twist eat, sleep, up the or even truth. focus on Most your school drama ocwork. All curs startthe effects ing from of bemiddle ing talked school up about reuntil high ally starts school. to take its The fact is toll on you. it happens How do to everyrama can emcompass our lives and cause us to break down. you manone, even It is importamt to remember that it is not the end of the age all the those who world. photo credit Scott Beck stress from try their drama? You hardest to ignore it. Th is is where you learn who your stay away. “You said this, they said that”, true friends are. When the friends that these are all the basic signs of drama. Usutake the time to listen to your side of the ally it starts because of a boyfriend or best story and try to understand the situation friend, even family issues. All is well until you tell that one person you trust most your from both sides are true. Those that choose biggest secret. Then they go and inform to be one sided and act worse than the presomeone else. Then they tell their friends schoolers aren’t good friends. It really is and the truth transforms into a nonsensical hard to ignore comments made in the halllie that spreads like wild fire through out way, or bulletins posted on Myspace, but the school. Its like that game we all used to you learn to make it through and after all is play in elementary school, telephone. Soon said and done, you became stronger in the enough you have people that you thought end. What goes around comes around, just were your friends turning against you be- stay true to yourself and everything will be cause of what they heard instead of what okay. kaylaYAMONICO

buisiness manager

What about kids today? I know parents try very hard to shelter their children, but with the legalization of homosexual marriage, every public school in the nation will be required to teach this as the moral equivalent of traditional marriage between a man and a woman. Textbooks will have to depict same-sex relationships, and stories written for children as young as elementary school, or even kindergarten, will have to give equal space to homosexuals. Many parents do not want their children learning about things such as this and for example, I asked my own mother, Andrea Johnson, “Well, that could go both ways,” s h e begins all seriously, “in one aspect, it would teach our children to love everyone and not

discriminate. But of course, if they become comfortable with the idea of homosexual marriage it will be looked at as a natural thing. Our children will be thinking about all the possibilities and that is something I do not want in my child’s minds. I’m sorry for being blunt.” If, and only if, gay marriage was legalized it would start an even greater debate than, Justine’s, and mine. This could lead to polygamy (one man having more than one wife) or polyandry (one woman having more than one husband) and there is even a group marriage. What if all the religions that believed in events, such as the above, decided to fight for laws to pass allowing these actions? Where would the world end up going? For all we know next we will be legally wedding giraffes or, better yet, marrying people to giraffes.

Focus

Busch Gardens’ attractions are a “scream”

one haunted house to the next, or try to catch the next show, they may also wander through one of the 4 scare This year at Busch Gardens, Howl-O-Scream com- zones. memorates its 10th anniversary, which promises to be the ‘Werewolves’ was a scare zone consisting of men dressed most terrorizing year ever. As guests enter through the as the eponymous monsters jumping through trees, popfront gate, they’re greeted by Ms. Vayne and ping out of bushes, and howling under the light of the her ‘House of Vayne’ fashion show. After moon. ‘Unearthed’ was one of the most simple but also about 10 minutes of modeling very odd one of the creepiest scare zones, with archaeologists’ scrapHalloween designs, the music becomes ing shovels sending sparks towards park-goer’s feet and eerie and the area is flooded with red mummies wandering silently through the crowds. The lights. The models become vampires other scare zones, ‘Banshees’, consisting of roller-blading, and attack the crowd, dragging one screaming women wearing sheets, and ‘El Carnival Del “innocent bystander” on stage. As Muerto’, filled with rather boring Mexican clowns, were the music comes to a close the both very disappointing. vampires all look at the crowd Disco-Dracula, a smooth singing werewolf, a smiling and then attack the break-dancing mummy, and sexy nurses? Gotta person, covering the audibe one show and one show only: ‘Fiends!’, ence in his “blood”. Howl-O-Scream’s longest running show After the welcomthat made its debut during the event ing act, everyone is in 2001. Dr. Frankenstein, Igor, pumped for what’s to and Frankenstein’s many nurses come, from hauntare throwing a party to deed houses with but Frankenstein’s greatkiller toys and est creation-his monster. photo credit howloscream.com a cannibalistic The performance utilized biker gang to the many famous songs, from shows with Dr. Frankenstein and Magician Jason Byrne. “I the ‘Monster Mash’ to ‘Blue Moon’ to The Rocky Horror loved Howl-O-Scream,” said Jordan Rodnizki, sophmore. Picture Show’s ‘The Time Warp’. The show was impressive, As the attendees of the affair travel from ride to ride, from hilarious, and worth seeing a few times just in case you ajQUENELL

entertainment editor

need “more nurses” (as Igor puts it). If the adults ﬁnd the lines to the haunted houses or rides to be too long, then they can venture to the 21-andup-only Club Envy. The attraction costs an extra $10 per person but allows front of the line immediate access to every haunted house. From Sorority Row to Death Row, the variety of the houses were continuously entertaining. This was the second year displaying the houses ‘Death Row: Vengeance’ and ‘Reconstruction: The Doctor Is In’, the 3rd year showing ‘Taste of Blood’, and the 4th for ‘Trapped in the Walls’. The new houses introduced this year were ‘13’, featuring a biker gang that killed and devoured 13 innocent people a year, ‘Delta Epsilon Delta: Pledge Week’, following a sorority’s terrible secret, photo credit howloscream.com and, scariest of all, ‘The Nightshade Toy Factory’, with possessed dolls, monstrous bears and other toys attacking the adults that forgot them.

Universal Studios puts the horror back in Halloween Halloween never goes out of style

parkerANDERSON

staﬀ writer

SAW- This house highlighted the majority of the “Games” held within Jigsaw’s warehouses. There were a few places for the Henchmen to pop out and scare you, and many distracting scenarios such as the barbed wire trap and various tapes playing on T.V.s. The whole house experience lasted about 5 to 6 minutes and was one of the scarier houses. The line to get in even with the express pass took about an hour or so. Go to this house first if you plan on going! Silver Screams- This was by far the best house and the scariest. It highlights scenes from “My Bloody Valentine”, “ Strangers”, and some zombie movie that wasn’t very specific. There are plenty of curtains, doors, and hallways for the actors to jump out at you. In this house you feel the mood of the movie and it’s like you are walking through a similar set of the actual movie. This house was the best and the scariest, making it worth the wait in line to just step inside. The Wolfman- This was one of the worst houses I went into. The people working in this house were the worst actors I have ever seen. The “villagers” just walk around telling you that there is no cure in their regular voices. It’s like they are not even trying to get you freaked out. The actual Wolfman however was about three or four different actors and they were placed above, hidden behind fog and trees, and at one point reached down from the ceiling. This was one of the scarier houses but was not put that well together. Chucky- If you are afraid of dolls and old creepy kid things, you will love this house. It is understandably scary to those of you who are scared of Chucky. Also, if you are not afraid of dolls, clowns, and colorful scenery, but love to see other people freak out then go into this house. Personally I think that this house was not scary but hilarious. Frankenstein- This house should have been renamed mainly because of the fact that Frankenstein himself is not really highlighted. Instead there is other various creatures and mad scientists scattered around the house. If this house wasn’t for Frankenstein, I would have no problem with it. It was scary and well put together and well worth the short wait to get in. There may have been a Frankenstein in there but either I didn’t see him or he didn’t do a very good job. Don’t think of it as Frankenstein and this is an OK house. Dracula- This is one of the better houses I went to. It was the perfect mesh of great scenery and scary. The pictures have a two in one image where one part is normal and as you pass by they look like vampires, which was a cool effect. The house resembles a mansion that has been aban-

doned for years. Overall it is basically vampires jump out of coﬃns and doorways and was scary and fun.

The Spawning- This house and has been overrun by resembling ﬁsh people. in the same place, diﬀerent zones. You to you and turn ster staring you plenty of strobe out the last sewer and a of “vines” from the

is placed in the sewers monsters somewhat They are hardly ever they run around to can see one run up around to a mondown. There are lights throughparts of the whole lot hanging ceiling

photo credit howloscream.com

throughout the whole house that hit you in the face and get really annoying after about two minutes. I suggest that, if you have some extra time in the park, you should hit this house. Leave it to Cleaver- This was by far the worst house I have ever been in. There are hardly any jump out actors in this house and even if they do jump out you can already see

them. This house has some OK scenery, but if you even see this house I suggest that you walk away and move on to better parts of the park. Lights Camera Hackton- This scare-zone has fog, random injured people, and guys with chainsaws. They are loud and fast, worse even yet, you can hardly see them as they run up to you. The scare-zone doesn’t have a storyline but it scares people and thats what counts. For this scarezone especially, although it is the same for all, if you do not want to be scared then do not look scared. If you see this scarezone, i recommend going through this zone. Apocalypse: The city of cannibals- This scare-zone was one of the better put together scenes. It captured the feel of a city torn apart. The citizens were good actors, as were the cannibals. Yet, the cannibals costumes were not very good and they all looked exactly the same. If you see this scarezone (indicated by ﬁre, a bus, and a broken ﬁre hydrant), go through it, even if it’s just to see others get scared.

kyleKOEHLER

staﬀ writer

Halloween is a time where kids and adults alike can dress up and be whoever or whatever they want. Whether you want to be a pirate, or something that looks like it’s straight out of a horror movie, options become virtually unlimited when picking a costume. It gives everyone the chance to loosen up, be someone different for a while and allows them to have a little fun. Also, if trick-or-treating is your way to go, then you can get a lot of free candy as well. One of the main problems however, is the initial picking of the costume. With so many choices, it can be very difficult. Although going with a classical costume is a good choice, many students here at Countryside are choosing a more creative route. This year, there will be everything from Pocahontas, to an “overly revealing” nurse and even a zombie shark. One of the most interesting ideas this year comes from the junior trio of Amanda Hellman, Stephanie Feola and Alexis Williams. The group decided to dress up as the Mario Bros. Hellman, the tallest, will be Luigi, Williams will be Mario, And Feola will either be Peach or Daisy. At this moment she is undecided. When asked why and how they came up with the idea, Hellman replied,” Alexis and I just kind of came up with it m s.co t randomly. We r le ka e e were at the mall g & talking about Hallowm o c . hts een and we decided to do g i rn r ro it.” Sadly however, they won’t be o h een showing off their costumes by trickw llo ha t or-treating. Th e group will be enjoying i d cre o the night by having a Halloween party. t o ph So if you’re still undecided, you can ask almost anyone for an idea about what you can do. Remember, when picking a costume, there are a few essential things; make sure that it’s not an overused “cliche”, be sure it’s reusable or salvageable for next years costume and like the costumes of Hellman, Feola and Williams, make sure it’s as creative as possible.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1... Halloween party story, “One time, I was at a Halloween party getting my dance on, when all of a sudden a friend of mine pops out of a closet and scares the hell out of me. That was a party I’ll remember forever.” Whether you’re partying it up, trick-or-treating, or handing out candy, Halloween can be a fun holiday. Many people say they enjoy Halloween because for one night they get to become someone else shamelessly, express themselves in a completely abnormal way, and feel okay about it. Halloween gives everyone a chance to change themselves for one whole night, become what they’ve always wanted to be. Halloween is a great day with traditions nobody cares to understand, and of course, candy.

Entertainment

Musician Jaicko asks, “Can I”? The A.J. Awards a.j.QUENELL

entertainment editor

The Contestants

photo credit showhype.com

In his early teens, Jaicko was known for rapping. He always seemed to have a sense for his vocal talent, but This winter, 18 year old Jaicko, a fresh face in the Ameri- didn’t take it seriously. “Back then, if you were a rapper, you can music industry, will release his debut album “Can I”. couldn’t be a singer. That’s changing now though,” Jaicko Like many artists that are currently creating their success said. He is now set on using his melodic and harmonized in the states, Jaicko is foreign to America and has come vocals in addition to his rapping skills. here to fulfill his dreams. He is native to the island of BarWhen he performed at a local night club in Barbados, bados and now resides in New York City. A young but be- Jaicko was swept away by the instant and positive response loved and talented singer/songwriter, he is determined to from the crowd. With that response, he had enough conbring his “Caribbean-infused” fidence to cut an independent music style here. album. The album sold 6,000 Capitol Records, the comcopies island-wide. Jaicko was pany who have signed him, impressed, considering the created a team to promote his fact that the island’s populadebut single, “Oh Yeah”, along tion was under 300,000. The with his debut album, which is Barbadian singer has created slated to drop this December. a fan base back in his home The team has been on its grind, island and continues to do creating a Mys pace, a Faceso as he pursues one in the book and a Twitter account for states. Breakout Barbadian this fresh face. His Myspace Rihanna has given inspiration includes a detailed biography, to the on the come-up talent. videos, wallpapers to download, “It almost seemed impossible and ring tones to purchase. Jafor a Barbadian artist to get icko’s Facebook and Twitter are a record deal. I was pursufor personal use but were still set ing this before Rihanna, but up by his team with tiled backseeing her success made me grounds of his official promobelieve more I could do it, tion poster. His company and Jaicko is a new face from Barbados. Like fellow Barbadian it removed whatever doubt promo-team are working hard Rihanna, he has achieved quick success here in America. was there,” he said. Jaicko photo credit musicremedy.com but Jaicko is working harder, has been nominated for nuputting on shows in New York City, being interviewed on merous Barbadian Music Awards where he is often placed “Good Day Philadelphia,” and promoting his music video in the same category as his Barbarian idol. on BET’S “106&Park.” The recent buzz surrounding Jaicko could be the sign Performing on stages since the age of nine and record- of success and fortune for him at an early age. With his ing in studios since he was ten, Jaicko has been around multiple web site accounts, you can easily hear his tracks, music for most of his childhood. His father is a longtime see pictures and get a good feel for him. His debut album nightclub musician and is the crucial other half to Jaicko’s “Can I” will be released in December so be on the look-out father-son team. They aid in writing eachothers’ songs. In for that along with his songs on the radio. Jaicko is workfact, most of the songs that landed Jaicko his record deal ing hard laying down tracks and promoting his music so were written by the duo. let’s see what comes of it. features editor

photo credit dosomething.org

heatherEBERT

Jesse McCartney VS. At the NASCAR PEPSI 500 Jesse Mccartney was asked to sing The StarSpangled Banner. When he got onto the stage he began to sing. After the ﬁrst few lines he skipped to the end as if the lyrics in the middle do not exist. He said “thank you” and left the stage.

Jenny Slate

On the fall season premiere of Saturday Night Live newcomer Jenny Slate came on in a skit called “Biker Chicks” the joke was the ladies in the script were to say “Frikin’” at least once in every sentence they said. Midway through the skit Slate dropped the F*Bomb.

One said the wrong word, the other said not enough words. Who’s mistake was worse? Go To Cnmcountryside.com/Entertainment to place you’re vote as many times as you please

Scares you may have missed ryanDUCHANE

Editor

The Thing John Carpenter teams up with Kurt Russell once again in one of the scariest and most suspenseful movies of all time. When researchers in the antarctic find an alien craft, RJ McReady (Russell) and the other scientists soon find that a shape-shifting alien is among them. With no way to know who to trust, the scientists are eliminated one by one as they race to find out who is human, and who is The Thing. The movie is one of Carpenter’s best, and the suspense created by the mystery is rivaled only by that of Hitchcock’s Psycho. The Thing is an essential horror movie to see and a great experience for Halloween night. photo credit johncarpenterforum.com

Bubba Ho-Tep B-Movie king Bruce Campbell has starred in many films throughout his career, most of them under the radar. One of the few films that gained a lot of attention was Bubba Ho-Tep. In the movie, Campbell plays an aging Elvis Presley (still alive thanks to switching out with a body double) who is stuck in a nursing home as his life slowly spirals into nothingness. His boring routine is interrupted by a resurrected mummy, a former pharaoh who steals the souls of the elderly to keep his life force. Elvis teams up with a black JFK in order to stop the soul-sucking deadhead, and there are lots of laughs along the way. Bubba Ho-Tep is definitely worth checking out, and it’s one of Bruce Campbell’s best movies since Evil Dead. photo credit freakshow.info

The Evil Dead Evil Dead is the father of B-Movie horror. It’s gained a cult fan base and inspired a musical, video games, and numerous spoofs/ripoffs. It launched the careers of Bruce Campbell and eventual Spider-Man director Sam Raimi. Evil Dead has served as the inspiration for many low-budget horror films, and popularized various film techniques like “push-pull cam” and the “Raimi cam”, a fast zoom in found in many movies today. The plot of Evil Dead is simple- 4 teens go to a cabin in the woods, discover an ancient artifact known as the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) and accidentally resurrect a forest full of spirits, aptly titled “The Evil Dead”. It is then up to Bruce Cambpell in his iconic role as Ash to stop the undead and destroy the book. Evil Dead was followed by two sequels, and has had a profound effect on movie buffs and convention goers worldwide. Unfortunately, Evil Dead remains a relatively unknown film. This Halloween, if you’re out renting horror movies or stuck at home, bored to death, watch Evil Dead. You may be unable to sleep for a few days, but you certainly won’t regret it. photo credit moviegoods.com

Dead Alive Before he became famous for directing “Lord of the Rings”, Peter Jackson was a low-budget “splatstick” director. One of the best of his early films is “Brain Dead”, called “Dead Alive” in America. The movie is a ridiculous ride filled with old school special effects covered with gore. The plot is about a rare monkey which starts a zombie plague, and follows the adventures of a young man as he tries to save his town from a plague of the undead. It’s regrettable that the movie doesn’t have a larger following, but this may be due to the fact that very few people can stomach it. The level of gore is over-thetop, more so even than “Evil Dead” or the films of Quentin Tarantino. But if you’re in the mood for a mindless, bloodfilled, Shaun of the Dead-esque comedy, there’s no better choice than Dead Alive. photo credit newmovies.net Return of the Living Dead John Russo and George Romero originally teamed up to create one of the most iconic horror films of all time, Night of the Living Dead. After the movie, Russo wrote a story for a new zombie movie, one that would be called Return of the Living Dead. The movie was then picked up to be directed by Dan O’Bannon (the co-creator of Alien), and the living dead finally returned. The movie took stabs at Night of the Living Dead and zombies in general, while still managing to scare the audience with its non-stop onslaught of invincible, running, talking cannibals. While not quite as widely accepted as Romero’s films, Return of the Living Dead is a must see. photo credit thequietus.com

Sports

C-side dives into victory

said Junior Shane Mabee. There are six members on the team, Cat Tyler(captain), Megan Hays, Gracey Kobitter, Chelsea Every Wednesday at 6:15 pm the dive team has been Kuhlman, Shane Mabee, and Jacob Matheus. Working as in action, working they’re way to the top at their meets a team is key when doing well in any sport, diving is no and finishing with a bang each time. They are flipping, different. They have to work hard and help twisting, and jumping their way to districts in each other perfect their dives and get them two weeks, and are determined to work hard right. Everything they do they have to work and overtake the competition. With the help of together, improve and get the dives right. their new coach, Danny, they are sure to do well “We work very hard together, and try to and hopefully bring home a gold trophy to add encourage each other to do well,” said senior to the big glass cases. Jacob Matheus, one of the new divers this There’s a new coach this year, hoping to make season. the team stronger, and teach them new things. Just like the swim team their biggest comIt may be a small team, but they’re packing a petition is also Palm Harbor University High. punch with her help. Competing with them on October 14th was “She’s very determined to get us to do our a big night for the team, they had to out dive best. She’s really nice though, and definitely them. Unfortunately, though Palm Harbor knows what she’s talking about.” said Senior was at the top of their game and defeated Chelsea Kuhlman. Countryside 114 to 71. Not only has a new coach been added to “They are definitely our biggest competition the team, there are a few new members on the by far. They did some amazing dives. I think squad as well that started mid way through the we were at the same level as them diving wise, season, Megan Hays sophomore, Shane Mabee but we just didn’t get the scores we were hopjunior and Jacob Matheus sophomore. These ing for.” said senior Megan Hays about their three have had to work twice as hard as everyegan Hays practicing a front somersault at the Dunedin Highlander Pool, on Oc- meet against their biggest competitors. one else because when they started they had no tober 16, 2009. She was preparing for the district which was October 23, 2009. Districts will be the last chance for them to experience at all and didn’t start until half way make an impact and get outstanding scores. through the season. Most of the old members arms, since there were only 3 people on the team they were Practices are getting more important, without practices started because of their gymnastic background. their dives just won’t be up to par. “I wanted to try diving because I was a gymnast and seriously hoping for some new people to join. “The old team members were really nice and helped This season has been a good one so far. Hopefully at I heard an announcement that gymnasts were needed for dive team, so I came to practice.” said freshman Gracey me out because I was new, and had no experience. All they districts, October 26-31, they will come home with a vicwanted to do was help me, its a great team to be apart of,” tory, title and trophy for C-SIDE! Kobitter.

nicoleHARRIS

staﬀ writer

“I started half way into the season, but it’s my senior year so I wanted to try something new. It seemed like a fun sport and a good way to meet new people,” said Senior Megan Hays. The new members of the team were greeted with open

Iron Man Challenge ericCURKAN

staﬀ writer

Every year thousands of athletes from around the world compete in the Foster Grant Ironman Challenge each year. In order to compete in the worldwide race you must qualify in one of the preliminary races around the world. One of them happens to be in Clearwater every year which is an enormous honor for the city. Ironman’s newest event, the Ironman 70.3 Series, culminates with its world championship in Clearwater. More than 1,800 national and international competitors will earn the right to compete in the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 by qualifying at one of the 33 Ironman 70.3 events held around the world. Ironman 70.3 events consist of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run Each age group winner in Clearwater will qualify

for the 2010 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 event. A grand prize totaling $100,000 will be oﬀered. The race will start and ﬁnish at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. The nearby Harborview Center and Sand Key Resort will host several of the pre-and post-race activities, including athlete check-in and the banquet functions. The Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 event is supported by several local and regional organizations, including the City of Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Morton Plant Mease Health Care, and the Florida Sports Foundation.

The challenge’s Q & A

ericCURKAN

staﬀ writer

1. What is the date of the 2009 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3? Saturday, November 14, 2009 2. Do I have to qualify to compete in the event? Yes, all athletes competing must earn a slot at one of the 29 global qualifying races. To view a list of qualifying races, please visit: Ironman 70.3 Events 3.What is the entry fee? $300.00 USD 4. When will specific race information (e.g., course maps, event schedule) be available? The Athlete Guide is available online. 5. Whom do I contact to secure a hotel room in Clearwater for the event? For information on our official hotels please log on to the event page and click on About the Event. 6. Which local bike shop do you recommend I contact to assist with bike repairs? Inside Out Sports is our official bike shop partner and can be reached at www.insideoutsports.com 7. Once I’ve registered for the event, whom do I contact with an address change? Please send all changes to: Clearwater@ironman.com. 8. Can I purchase tickets to the welcome dinner (Nov. 6) and awards banquet (Nov. 8) for family and friends? There are a limited number of banquet tickets available for guests. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ironmandvd.com 9. Which sports nutrition items will be available oncourse? Gatorade Endurance Formula, plus PowerBar and PowerBar GEL products, will be available through the bike and run course. Please refer to the Athlete Guide for specific product placement. 10. If I become injured or cannot compete in the race for any reason, can I transfer my slot to the following year or to another person? Sorry, slots are non-transferable. 11. Does the event have slots for the 2009 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3? Yes, the top 10 male and female pros, plus each age group winner will receive a slot. 12. What are the cut-off times to be an official finisher at the world championship? Swim: 1:00 after final swim start Bike: 4:30 after final swim start Finish: 7:30 after final swim start 13. How can I determine the number of world championship slots at each qualifier? Please refer to the event page of each qualifier to view the pro and age group slots. Contact the event’s organizer to determine the specific number of slots for your category.

The Puzzler

: Halloween Special Comi Pie DevilzMoon Directions:

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Boo!

Happy Halloween!

The night is here, get ready for some fright and fear...

How long will it take you to find them all?

Answers : To find the answers , you would have to find me .

SUDOKU

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So You Think You’ve...

GOT GAME? opinion/grub editor

Whether it’s football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc., every student athlete dreams of receiving a scholarship to the college or university of their dreams. However, not only do you have to be a gifted athlete, you usually must obtain (and then maintain) a certain grade point average as well. At Countryside High School, we’ve seen numerous athletes go on to bigger and better things at the collegiate and even professional athletics level. Some have gone to schools such as the University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Miami, Florida State University, University of South Florida, and Ohio State University. Can you believe that a student here at Countryside has received letters to play football for over 10 diﬀerent universities? Well believe it! Tyler Moore is only a junior and a member of the varsity football team. “Hitting people is my favorite part,” said Moore. Watching football on television growing up

made him want to play the game, so when it came time for high school, he signed up. He has been playing for the high school team for three years and has enjoyed it thoroughly. He even mentioned that the reason he came to Countryside in the ﬁrst place is because of the athletic department. “Math is my favorite subject, because I’m really good at it,” Moore said. Being athletically talented is a key factor in obtaining a athletic scholarship, but academics are also a very important part of the process. Moore successfully maintains a 3.5 grade point average and challenges himself by taking upper level classes. “I wouldn’t mind going to Nebraska because I have always been a big fan,” Moore said. Is it being a fan or is it in his blood? In this case it’s both. Going to Nebraska has always been a top choice for Tyler. In the 1980’s, his father, Brian Moore, was a tight end for Nebraska. Former NFL quarterback Vince Ferragamo is a Nebraska alumni and a cousin of Tyler’s on his mother’s side. Additionally, two of Tyler’s cousins have played for the Cornhuskers. Playing football for Nebraska is both in his blood and number one in his heart so as of Friday October 16, he has committed to going to the University of Nebraska, putting on another red and white uniform, and being apart of the Cornhuskers football program.

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photo credit Catie Munns

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