Countryside High School Paw Print Newspaper Volume 32 Issue 4

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photo credit http://articles.nydailynews.com, http://photos.oregonlive.com, http://usekit.com, payvand.com, newshopper.sulekha.com, twistedsifter.com, geardiary.com

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Features

Killer fun in the sun katelynWABNUM

Students seeking shores abbyMILLS

staff writer

Beach balls, sand, surf, and parties! Every year students all over the country migrate south for a week of good times and warm weather. The favorite destinations popping up on the map this year are where you can expect to see the most crowded beaches and towns, such as Miami and our own Clearwater Beach.

It is well known that students in the north come down to Florida and Mexico to soak up the sun and sand, but just where do they go? Places such as Cancun, Mexico and Miami, Florida receive a high volume of tourists during the spring break time.

According to a survey on “studentcity.com” top locations and approximated coasts for 2011 spring break include Cancun at $1,100, Panama City roughly $250, Dominican Republic slightly under $1,000, and Jamaica at $800 a person.

Panama City will hit the top of studentcity’s prospective amount of travelers with 5,000 people traveling there, followed by Cancun with only 1,400. Other places will still experience a high population increase, but they are not predicted to be as staggering.

The populations for these crowded spring break cities increase dramatically while they host high school and college students’ party week. What does Miami and the Bahamas have that New York and Chicago doesn’t?

The motivations that lure crowds away from home are getting away from the cold, and being with friends in a party environment.

There are 16 popular beaches in the Miami area and over seven miles of pure white beaches and crystal clear water in Cancun. Beyond the shores, there is parasailing

staff writer

Every year the time comes where beaches are bombarded, sales outlets are stormed, and a 13% increase of deaths concerning Post-High School Students, starts to apply itself. This countrywide phenomenon, commonly known as spring break is on it’s way to local schools soon. Whether they are packing for the local beach to a week long get-away to Cancun, young adults never seem to know what to prepare for. The words flashing across the screen on televisions at the end of March are the same each year; “Seventeen year-old track star in intensive care after a fall from a three story hotel balcony”, “Son of city mayor, Bobby Smith, fighting to live after, found unconscious and abandoned by friends, on Myrtle Beach,” and so on.

The potentially harmful acts of careless teens has left it up to state legislatures to create laws and regulations pertaining to the behavior of vacationing individuals or groups.

Is this truly necessary? Has the matter of keeping your self safe and unexploited truly become a legal matter, rather than just a matter of upholding your family’s pride and respect? If so, it would be practical to reflect upon a few common sense tips that were either not instilled or long forgotten since the upbringing of today’s youth.

and jet skiing available for the adventurous or dolphin watching and dinner cruises for the tender-hearted.

Panama City and South Padre Island don’t attract their guests because of their unique names. They are known by students on spring break around the country as being a place to be for good time and hot weather.

South Padre Island located in southern Texas likes doing their parties big. There are many clubs and restaurants hosting parties lasting till the wee hours of the morning with hundreds attending.

High school and College kids already living in Florida can take a walk in their back yard and throw some

parties of their own. Clearwater Beach is over three miles in length and has soft pure white sand, and the best part, students from the area can get there with less than half a tank of gas.

Students who already live in a spring breakers paradise don’t need to travel far to party under the sun or relax by the cooling waters. But both students traveling far and the one who are neighbors with paradise will both agree that places such as Clearwater Beach, Miami Beach, and South Padre Island have the right ingredients for a perfect spring break.

Opinion

Literature : cultivating society for centuries katelynWABNUM

staff writer

From the days of Don Quixote to the dawn of the Twilight Saga, literature has been stimulating decision making process’ in ways you may not believe. Not only does the writing of others sway opinions on minute matters, it also instills certain concepts of societal integrity. Whether it be what charitable deeds are consummated by local adolescents to which articles of clothing make it into modern wardrobes, it is all dependent on the work of others; influenced by popularized reads, directly or indirectly.

The capability to clout moral ethics in any public way, has laid on the shoulders of word smiths since the invention of the printing press. A prime example of this concurrence in fact has no relation to Luther’s 95-thesis but, results in similar controversy. Not even two decades ago the idea of pre-adulthood pregnancy was deeply frowned upon. Today what

photo credit education-portal.com

photo credit Katelyn Wabnum

is commonly referred to in the media as the “Juno effect”, is sweeping the nation. Juno being a multi-million dollar film, emphasizing and unintentionally glorifying teenage pregnancy, has impacted teenage moral standings on sexuality,in such a way that a High School in northern Michigan received recent news that a group of 17 female students had a agreed upon a pact to all become impregnated throughout their High School years.

Succeeding with there plan all 17 of the girls have now taken on a responsibility changes there lives, completely.

Starting out as a play-write ending up as a lifestyle, the overall societal view on this topic is now and forever changed.

Stepping into today’s average high school, illustrates flawlessly the views of others, as once only a whimsical thought, into now a full on view point.

Plastered across the apparel, body language and surroundings of nondescript students clustered throughout the corridors, are the new-age stand points popular among our generation but, not from our generation. Published writers leave their mark every where their work is read, skimmed, or reiterated. Most of the time without the knowledge of the affected.

Would there be a Harry Potter World at Universal waiting to fill fans weekends with (harry-potter-like word)----joy, if the brilliance of J.K Rowling was never discovered? Would there be a protestant church if Luther never voiced his opinion? Would a group known as the “Twitards” be existent if, they had never read, breathed, and dreamed Stephanie Meyer’s bestselling saga. Would you be reading this if your love for reading had not developed with the help of Richard Scarry’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Minute, symbolic, or revolutionary those who write have the power to form images of the world, fort he better, the worse, or abstruse. photo credit education-portal.com

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Facebook’s finest turn’s into local crisis a.j.CABERTO

opinion/grub editor

As confident students post their fabulous pictures on their supposedly private facebook page, other anonymous facebook members have been copying and pasting those images to their revolting page. Two photos are made as one image, where people are supposed to vote which one’s beauty stands out more. This has started the “Finest n’ Pinellas” plague. It stretched to both ends of the Pinellas county schools, from middle schools to high schools and even the very peaceful private school, Clearwater Central Catholic High School; this epidemic is just unstoppable.

It is a fact that Facebook does start many disagreements but this is no where as great as the amount of debates that this cruel operator(s) had started. A page that had broken friendships, insulted people’s appearances, and worst of all killed many student’s confidence, what could possibly be worse? Of course, there were some people that enjoyed the page, which were the ones that had won it, for the rest who knows what their next step was.

Everyone knows that Facebook is a way to socialize with friends, you could say that this and texting are cousins.The only difference is that texting is private, only you and your text mate can see or know what you could possibly be sending each other. Facebook can be seen by many people, even the ones you do not know. So imagine yourself being humiliated in front of the whole teenage world, with them essentially saying “you’re not attractive enough.”

How would you feel?

Another problem is that anonymous person/people are doing it without your permission, They would just take your profile picture, and the next day, you would find out that you are being featured on the page. This is “Finest n’ Pinellas”; day by day catching victims by force and crushing many young people’s confidence about their appearFACEBOOK CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Gauges stretch their way across the nation haleyPETERS

staff writer

A fashion trend once reserved for scenes and hipsters, ear gauges have now gone mainstream. Though the process of gauging is nothing new, more Countryside students than ever are sporting tunnels through their lobes.

Studies conducted have shown no harmful side effects if the process is done correctly, aside from some discomfort from the stretching and, you guessed it, stretching. (Which unless I’m mistaken, is the desired effect.)

The process of gauging began in Asia,and has since spread around the globe. However, young people across America have been taking part in body modification processes for generations; tattoos, hair dye, piercings, you name it. Gauging is one of the most recent to join this group (and don’t get me started on those implanted horns!), bringing with it a slew of criticism, disbelief, and surgical repair processes.

The history of this wacky trend in a nutshell? Here it is.The stretching of earlobes is thought to have originated in ancient Nepal, where the Buddha first began his teachings. Though he was born into wealth, he chose to discard his possessions and become poor. Signifying his transformation, he removed the heavy golden jewelry from his ears, producing the stretched earlobes he’s commonly depicted with. African tribes such as the Mursi and Surma have also been practicing the gauging of lips (using a similar process called a lip disk) and ears

photo credit Katelyn Wabnum

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unior Madison Cousin shows off the gauges she has been working on since freshman year.

for centuries. Such practices around the globe as well as the increasing popularity of body modification serve as inspiration for young people today to gauge their ears.

Gauging ears is a pretty slow process that involves stretching a healed piercing to accommodate larger jewelry. The “point of no return” is a size 00, if the gauges exceed

that, the ear lobes they inhabit will never return to normal size... a permanent change some do not seem to mind.

When asked why she chose to gauge her ears, Madison Cousin responded “I just got bored with regular piercings and decided to go bigger.” However, many parents and more conservative teens might ask “What are you going to do when your ears sag when you take them out?” To that, Madison simply shrugged a shoulder and said “They wont go back completely so I’ll either wear really small gauges or just get the surgery.”

The surgery mentioned is called an Otoplasty, a quick procedure that costs around 1,500 to 3,000 bucks and only lasts 30 minutes. During that time the plastic surgeon repairs any damage caused by gauges, leaving only a small scar and some short-term swelling. Surgeons have been doing more of these operations lately, mostly due to the teens and young adults with gauges that want to join the workforce. Job-hungry teens will often repair saggy earlobes, remove miscellaneous piercings, and shave over-grown sideburns if the job should demand it.

Gauges are popping up all over the United States. From American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert, to our friends and classmates, this trend has excited some and turned others into skeptics. While many haters argue that the stretching is permanent and unsightly, there’s no medical risk in stretched piercings. With new surgeries to repair saggy earlobes and tons of cool gauges to wear, more and more teens are wondering “Why the heck not?” and taking part in the trend.

News

SAT Study Guides: Which is right for you? haleyPETERS

staff writer

Choosing the best method of SAT preparation is constantly on the mind of college-bound students. Starting junior year, Countryside pupils start their search for a way to amp up their SAT scores. The possibilities include in-school classes, private tutoring, out-of-school classes, or studying alone with the beloved Princeton Review prep book. These methods have different costs and learning environments, each one presenting a different outcome in your test scores.

“I chose to take private tutoring and got a great score,” said Nicole Morril, a junior in the engineering program at Eastlake. Though one-on-one tutoring sessions can be costly, the improvement is exponential. Nicole got a nearperfect score of 1520 (not including writing), thanks to her private tutors and her own intelligence. Not all students are as successful as Nicole, but the individual attention given by certified tutors is light-years away from the attention students might receive in say, a classroom of 25 other eager students. Tutors aim for personalized learning in all areas of the SAT; allowing for a labor intensive, costly, but incredibly effective way to amp up your scores.

Other students took a more practical approach to SAT prep, taking advantage of the math or English preparatory courses available in our school. “I’m taking the math SAT class here at school. I like that its free and its a daily thing, not just once a week like some classes,” said Lauren Griffin, a junior here at Countryside. Lauren spends one period a day taking practice tests and going over the math skills necessary for the SAT with the help of Mr. Fresia.

“I took it once without prepping and got a 1200, I’m really hoping for a 1400 though,” she explained. In-school classes are an easy and free way to brush up on SAT materials, often giving students like Lauren an extra boost.

Prep classes are also available outside of school, at businesses like Sylvan Learning Center or Princeton Review. Classes can take place anywhere from one to three times a week and cover all subjects present on the SAT. Senior Kathleen O’Leary explained her reasoning for choosing to take such classes; “I wanted a more intense class than the school offered, but private tutoring was too expensive. The class brought my score up 200 points, including writing.” With about half the pupils of in-school prep classes and a more rigorous curriculum, it’s no wonder Kathleen made such an improvement.

Out-of-school SAT preparation courses vary in cost, but CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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Re-“Kindle” the use of textbooks meganMASON

editor-in-chief

While Countryside students are still subject to the horrors of lugging around ten pound text books to and from school, Clearwater High students and faculty are living it up in the land of electronics with their Kindles.

Donned the electronic books in September, Clearwater shed its textbooks and took on the role of the experimental school in Pinellas County for the weightless devices.

With the prospect of little to carry back and forth from school, students were originally delighted with the idea of the Kindles replacing ancient paper-books.

As the first school in the nation to switch completely from paper-books to e-readers, Clearwater took pride in what many thought could be the best alternative to heavy backpacks and burdensome textbooks.

Originally intended as a way to integrate seemingly outdated methods of teaching into technology, the cost effectiveness eventually came into play when it was noted that online books were about a fifth of the cost of a paper text book. Clearwater, posed to pay about $600,000 for the e-readers, clarified that the cost of the e-books versus the traditional books were simply a benefit, not a factor. Eventually paying $177 for each Kindle, school officials commented that it was simply an investment in the student’s futures.

Indeed, many skeptics disbelieved the rumors of Kindles at Clearwater High. Junior Hannah Sacco said, “Out of all the great schools in the county, I was shocked that Clearwater ended up with the e-readers. They’re not exactly the most academically rigorous school in comparison to somewhere like CCC o r Palm Harbor.” But the doubt and the rumors eventually came to a stand-still when Kindles were distributed to every student in the school,early this school year.

Having used the Kindles for quite some time now, Clearwater staff and students have spent enough days with their 10-ounce devices to finally muster an opinion on the electronics. As it turns out, the Kindles have made quite a few fans (as well as enemies) during their stay with the Tornadoes that the outcome is sim-

ply, “We agree to disagree.” While advocates speak of the devices as not only a nice alternative to books, but also as a free pass to the internet, nay-sayers argue that it’s both hard to learn from and a distraction in class.

Senior Nikki Hux told the St. Pete Times that studying with her e-reader was much simpler than studying with traditional books. As a dual-enrollment student with St. Pete College, Hux believes that not only is it a great study guide because she can “use it just about anywhere”, but that it saves her money when buying textbooks for the college.

“It’s great if you like excuses to not listen to your teachers,” Clearwater sophomore Rachel Rende, said, “Most people just use it for Facebook and the internet, since the school can’t block the WIFI on the Kindles.” Rende was one of the first to receive her Kindles, and while she enjoys the weightless device, she, like many other A-students, finds that it gives already struggling students more excuses not to pay attention in class.

Clearwater Junior Eiley Johnson, on the other hand, is running low on patience for the Kindle. Due to the Kindle’s recent arrival, only about ¼ of Clearwater’s curriculum is currently available on the e-reader. Johnson, along with many of her classmates, is forced to use both her Kindle and her textbooks because some of her classes require books not available electronically. “It’s a hassle, if anything,” she said, “I just can’t believe they don’t have my books. It’s stupid that I have to use both the Kindle and my textbooks. It makes everything so much more complicated.”

Despite the arguments for or against the weightless devices, Clearwater High has collectively come to the conclusion that they are here to stay. "I want [them] to stay for at least four years.

So we can get our money's worth," Clearwater Principal Dean Mastorides said, "We feel it's had a great start."

As the “Kindlezation” of Clearwater High comes to a close, students – for it or against it – are integrating their devices into part of their daily lives. While Florida education officials speak of complete integration of education into technology – supposedly by giving all K-12 students Kindles and iPads – by 2015, Clearwater settles into their new life with the e-readers that made them famous.

“Explore” the life of a policeman

kelleyBUTTERFIELD

staff writer

“Leading the way for a safer Pinellas” is only one of many sayings for the Post 900 Explorers. The Explorers is ran by the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office and is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America - Learning for Life program. The Post teaches young male and female students between the ages of 14-21, interested in becoming Deputy Sheriffs, forensic analysts, being in the military or just to get Bright Futures hours. It is held every Tuesday at the 49th St. Criminal Courts Complex. There are six Deputies who work with the students and teach them drills, discipline, team work, Criminal law, and how to handle sticky situations with dangerous or odd people. The Post has won every state competition since it was established.

There are 30 explorers who are all ranked by experience and time allotted at the Post. New visitors come in under the title as “guest” for one month until the Explorers and Deputies are sure the position will be upheld.

Then, uniform ‘Class A’ and ‘Class B’ are issued. Class A uniforms are very dressy and look similar to a Deputies uniform that could be seen at a traffic stop or at court.

Class B uniforms are khaki military pants and a green Post 900 Explorer t-shirt with polished combat boots.

There are two shuttles that transport students to the office promptly at 5:55. One pick up site is located behind the traffic building off of US 19 near Home Depot, and the other is at the Sheriffs’ Administration Building. Upon arrival at the office three to four lines are assembled outside and Personal Training is started.

PT includes exercises such as marching drills, running, high knees in place, push-ups, mountain climbers and leg lifts. If a member of the Post does not follow their chain

of commands, forget to pick up their jacket and then do not claim it, or other things the Deputies do not approve of, extra push-ups are required. The punishment pushups are no ordinary push up though, Deputies will command you to uphold the ‘up’ position or the ‘down’ position while explaining in detail what was done incorrectly.

the Explorer runs down to a pole and all the way back imitating a chase with a Mag flashlight in his/her hand.

Next, he must jump over four miniature fences and proceed to crawl under fake bushes. The Deputy encourages the Explorers to “Pull their partner to safety.” This ‘partner’ is a 150 pound anchor attached to a chain imitating their arm. Next, the Explorers go to wooden ‘bad guys’ and spray the boards with a can of pepper spray filled with water to learn the techniques on how to safely spray the liquid. Finally, he goes with a practice gun which is unloaded and blocked to a set of four boards; two small and two large boards. On the large boards, the explorer must stand up and shoot, then roll over on the ground to the small boards and shoot.

On an average Tuesday, the Deputy commands the Explorer Post to go inside and the class sits down and the Lead Deputy teaches them. The most recent lesson was on Domestic Violence, the signs, and how to handle the investigation. In the power point, tips were given on how to handle the emotional family, kids, victims, and the culprit. On the following Tuesday, the Deputies set up scenarios based on the teachings from the previous week. Scenarios which include people who work with the Sheriffs Office that put on an act and pretend to be the victims, kids, and culprit. It is up to the group of four xplorer Post 900 poses with trophies after a shooting compe- explorers to solve the crime and decide who needs to be arrested. After they make the final decision the tition this past winter.

Deputy and others working with the students critique After PT, the group proceeds to follow orders and head their decisions and most importantly, their officer safety. to the drill fields or indoors. While at the drill fields, a After a hard nights work, the 30 ExplorDeputy puts the Explorer inside an old police car, has the ers go home and anxiously await another weeks lesExplorer put on the seat belt and talks to the student in son that is full of yelling, encouragement, perthe car and then randomly yells “GO GO GO!” Then, sonal training, friends, discipline and learning.

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News

P r e p a r e t o b e “ P l u g g e d - I n” kathrynWILLIAMS

editor-in-chief

Television shows and movies like the Jetsons, Star Wars, the Fifth Element and Back to the Future all depict a world where asphalt is no longer beneath the tires of cars but pure air; hovercrafts rule the futuristic world. Funny enough, many older movies looked at the current time period as the futuristic robotic age. Innovation would take over. The old movies did have the right idea. The country would eventually come up with something revolutionary.

The national average price of gas is $3.15 per gallon and rising. It is estimated that sometime in the next 10 years, the national natural gas supply will run out. The car companies decided they needed to come out with something new innovative and they needed to do it fast. The new rising stars of the car industry are the electric cars came out of the chaos and they sure are making an impact.

When these creations first came out, they were not for the average consumer. For instance the Telsa Roadster first released in 2008 ,can go 244 miles on one single charge but will set the consumer back about $109,000. The electric cars made by Miles were limited to only 25 mph and were only legally viable on streets with speed limits up to 35 mph. These cars received little recognition and some disappeared all together. More recently, the electric cars

made their comeback and were made by more household car company names. The Nissan LEAF (Leading, Envi-

photo credit http://www.metaefficient.com

ronmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family car) was released December of 2010, and lives up to its name. The car costs $32,780, much less than it’s earlier counterparts, and is a hatchback with room for a five person family. Furthermore,

the fuel economy, if converted to miles per gallon (mpg), would be 99 mpgs (this is highway and city combined). A similar non-electric car, the Ford Fiesta, only gets up to 29 mpgs in the city and 40 highway. The Volt, Chevy’s new car heavily advertised during the Superbowl is the newest on the market. The four door sedan is more than the LEAF at around $40,000 and gets 93 mpgs (also combined). Other cars that will soon make their debut are the Scion iQ and the electric version of the Toyota Prius.

One drawback that consumers may have from these cars is how far they will go on a single charge. The LEAF can go 62-138 miles on a single charge. Nissan’s website says that the distance that can be covered on a single charge has a lot to do with traffic and weather conditions. For instance, if it is about 95 degrees out, equivalent to a Florida summer, the car will get about 70 miles to the charge, but if it is under 20 degrees in “stop and go traffic,” it will only get 62. It is reported that the Volt can go 40 miles on a single charge, so from CHS to Bradenton. The wide gap between both cars is interesting but is true according to the studies by the car companies.

This is the age of the “going green” revolution. Important portions of people’s lives have been modified to suit this change from the reusable bags for groceries to energy saving light-bulbs. Now it is the cars turn to go green.

THINK outside the BOT Coffee House excites the crowd

calebCARNEY

staff writer Countryside High School has always prided itself on the achievements of its contact sports. However, the students and faculty have a relatively new, and less physiological but more intellectually driven, program too diverge it’s pride on. The future is Nanofusion.

The Countryside Robotics Club, also known as Nanofusion, is relatively new to Countryside High School’s older, more established extracurricular activities. Whereas the purpose of high school football is to promote physical health, the robotics club purpose is too....stimilate the mind maybe) Nanofusion has recently attended five competitions and won five awards how did they place? where were the competitions?.

Most recently, Nanofusion attended a state competition known as F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), in Daytona, Florida. This competition, held at Embry Riddle University, took the best schools robotics clubs from each designated district and placed them against each other in various competitions.

Each school’s robotics club built their own robot, using parts bought from the F.I.R.S.T organization. These robots are used to complete various obstacles and fight other contending school’s robots.

Although Nanofusion did not win the competition, Nanofusion earned the THINK award. The THINK award is given to the students who have the most profoundly adept documentation of the process they used to construct their machine.

Countryside’s Rocbotics Club has produced robots which have awards at the state level.and they look to improve for their next competition.

Tenth grader, Sara Mangrum said, “It was like an extended family. Everyone was really nice and helpful.”

On March 10th from seven to nine in the library the Coffee House auditions were held on February 9th final product was performed. Chairs and tables were set up outside the chorus room for any interested and talented in a comfortable arrangement. A black table cloth draped students at Countryside High School. Coffee House is an over the table and shamrocks and plastic coins were scatannual event that gives CHS students the chance to show- tered over them. A huge dessert table sat in the back. case their talent. Forty students congregated around the Parents provided the delicious plethora of pastries and door waiting their turn to sing, play an instrument, crack sweets.

The audience was mesjokes or perform a skit. merized by the perforMs. Franchi, Mrs. mances. Whether it was Florio, Mrs. Vaal and the sweet voice of Amber Mrs. Archer comprised Gross singing “Breath” by the panel of judges who Anna Nalick, or the touchevaluated the perforing dialogue of Molly and mances and determined Claire Gould, the viewers whether the performer were completely drawn in. was prepared and ready The house laughed their for the Coffee House hearts out during Andrew atmosphere. The higher Richey and Nile Madley’s the score, the better the hilarious “improv” act, chance the students and a few of the audience had their chance of members were called up performing at Coffee to participate in the show.

House. From the forty As each performance finphoto credit Katelyn Wabnum students that tried out, ished the crowd exploded twenty five of them iana Herron plays the guitar as Emily Pierce into a round of applause. were selected. sings along to the song “Catch Me” by Demi Coffee House showed While preparing Lovato, March 10th at the Coffee House. a handful of the talent at for their auditions the Countryside students bonded. Everyone was extremely Countryside High School. The performers blew the ausupportive and they enjoyed themselves. The environment dience away with their humor, singing and instrumental abilities. Don’t miss next year! was relaxed and the stress level was low. danaHARRIS

staff writer

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Worldwide Tragedy: Politi staff writer In the northern part of Africa, Libyans are seeking refuge from the ongoing protest of the government. This uprising has caused attention all over the world and within less than a month more than thousands of the Libyans have rebelled against Colonel Muammar El-Gaddafi’s rule, who has reigned over the Libyan government for forty-one years. The uprising brought national attention to Libya and within less than a month, more than a thousand Libyan’s have rebelled against Gaddafi’s reign.The factors that contributed are certainly interconnected to the Egyptian conflict.

On February 28th Muammar El-Gaddafi spoke with the press in Libya and declared that he was not going to step down as ruler. He reportedly stated that “there will be no mercy”. This brought about more acts of violence an the city of Benghazi, the headquarters of the revolt, nearly 10,000 Libyan’s were present stood protesting. Since the protesting started the government has been advised to go to the extreme in doing whatever it takes to get rid of the Libyan rebels.

Tuesday, March 15th six journalists from the New York Times were captured by the Libyan government. The journalists reportedly entered Libya through Egyptian borders with an illegal visa seeking to investigate further into the Libyan rebellion. Fortunately the government allowed the release of the captured journalists six days following their imprisonment.

Most recently in Libya, the main source of attacks continue to derive from in-air missiles and bombs from the Gaddafi military. These attacks have become devastating to the country and surrounding areas as well. In an effort to bring about an end to the terror in Libya the United States, France, and United Kingdom forces attacked the region of Benghzai. The coalition’s planes swarmed in, ambushing Libya’s air defence targets with missile attacks. The countries are hoping to eradicate the lethal combat in Libya by destroying their attack system and securing a no-flight zone in the country.

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photo credit worldvisionreport.org

ariesaBRYANT

ring factions with the support of the African Union and staff writer most western countries, was brought before the Southern Sudanese people that could potentially solve the problem.

As the U.S. and worldwide mainstream media salivates Starting on January 9th, 2011, southern Sudanese flocked over the action unfolding in Egypt, the largest land mass to the polls to cast their ballot on the issue of whether to nation in Africa is creating a huge ripple that will not only secede from the north. At the end of the week, ninetyeffect Sudan but could affect the rest of all sub-Saharan eight percent of the south’s population voted to secede Africa as well. While mainstream media has become en- from the north. Due to the astounding outcome of the amored with the fall of the U.S. supported dictator, Hosni vote, Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, announced that Mubarak, it has turned a blind eye to the events occurring he would formally recognize the vote.

Even though the war appears to be over, there are many in Sudan. Most Americans have no clue where Sudan is, economic and social issues that still need to be resolved. let alone the civil war that has devastated its population.

After fifty years of strife, Sudan is taking a radical step The biggest issue that the new nations face is the topic of forward that may have positive long lasting effects. On July the country’s oil. While most of the oil wells are located in 9th, 2011, Africa’s largest country will be divided into two the south, the infrastructure is controlled by the Islamic sovereign nations – Southern Sudan and Northern Su- dominated government in the north. The current deal is dan with official names yet to be determined. For a nation to split the profits evenly between the two countries, but plagued with bloodshed, this radical concept, devised with skeptics are already beginning to question the volatility of the support of the African Union, gives the Sudanese a this distribution system, among other unresolved issues.

Although Sudan splitting into two countries could be a possible sense of hope to the ongoing war.

Civil war has beleaguered Sudan where an estimated huge step forward, the outcome isn’t clear yet. At the motwo million people have been killed and has resulted in ment, the two new nations are apparently able to cooperate millions more becoming permanent transplanted refugees peacefully. However, will the conflict reignite between the in neighboring countries. Some countries have the luxury two nations and bring the familiar scent of war back into of being able to resolve their differences and mend togeth- the Sudanese lives or will the peaceful negotiations be able er after an internal war for the common good of a nation. to last? There are many issues that remain to be decided However this has rarely been the case in Africa. Sudan has for Sudan. It will be these economic, social and residual been unable to resolve the problems created by European political issues that will determine how the two Sudans colonization during the late 1800s and has not been able emerge from this historic split, not to mention the numerto start a new chapter in its history. Due to this continu- ous other sub-Saharan African nations struggling with the ing internal conflict, a referendum, approved by the war- same post-European colonial issues.

photo credit www.presstv.ir

haliKUDLER

7

cus

ical and Natural Disasters photo credit thebollywoodgallery.com

parkerANDERSEN

entertainment editor

As of Tuesday, January 25th 2011,Egyptians had been protesting against their current government. The protests were due to severe poverty, large numbers of unemployment, government corruption, and President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic rule for about 30 years. Egypt has been a semi-Presidential republic since the 1950’s, but due to Mubarak putting emergency law into place, amongst many other actions, the Egyptian government has slowly turned into something far from democracy. On Thursday, January 27th, the Egyptian government began to turn off the Internet for the entire country. This attempt of controlling and restraining the Egyptian people was due to the protesters using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to organize their protests and strengthen their numbers.

By February 1st, Egypt had the majority of it’s officials replaced and by February 2nd, the Internet had been restored. But this didn’t quite please the masses as President Mubarak had hoped. Mubarak then announced that

he would not run for re-election, and even this announcement did not stop the protesting for change. What the protesters want is for Mubarak to resign immediately, and despite rumors, Mubarak says that he will not leave office. Many people are questioning why he won’t leave office considering it was found out that he has somewhere around $70 billion from some unknown and indefinite source(s).

By February 9th, the death toll due to protest was put at 300. Also, many of the officials in the Egyptian government had stepped down and even Mubarak’s son, who would’ve taken office after him, announced that he would not become the Egyptian president. On February 11th, President Hosni Mubarak resigned from presidency and transferred power to The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. It has since been announced that the emergency laws put in place when Mubarak came to power in 1981 will no longer be in effect when Egypt has been restored to a stable condition. As the Parliament has been dissolved and the government is no longer in power, the Egyptian military will be in control of the country for around 6 months or until elections can be held.

photo credit blog.godreports.com

meganMASON

editor-in-chief

Enamored with the corruption in Africa, the American public barely had time to take a breath between Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak before another crisis made its mark in Japan Friday afternoon.

Friday, March 11th, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake shook Japan, leaving millions of people without electricity, thousands without homes, and countless lost beneath the rubble.

Within hours, northern Japan received the brute-force of a 10 meter tsunami that flooded and destroyed small towns and big cities alike. On top of the earthquake and the tsunami, thousands of aftershocks cursed the island, some exceeding a magnitude of 7.0. At the end of the day, thousands of people were unaccounted for and 11 of the nation’s 50 power plants were shut down.

Following one of the worst days in Japan’s history, the country proceeded to find itself in crisis as a nuclear power plant in the northern region began having issues with its reactors. After the disaster, Fukushima’s cooling systems had started to fail, and fear of a nuclear meltdown began rising globally.

Within the next few days, Japan called upon roughly 100,000 of its own men to act as emergency personnel, in addition to evacuating about 230,000 nearby residents of the problematic power plants. While the death toll continued to climb, the survivors struggled without power due to an energy ration the government put into place because of the power plant shutdowns.

When another reactor exploded at Fukushima, experts

were quick to monopolize the news with predictions and possible outcomes of the faulty power plant. Although some skeptics were hesitant to concede with the findings, the International Atomic Energy Agency declared that a Chernobyllike incident was “very unlikely”.

Later in the week, after more reactors caught fire, more civilians were advised to evacuate, and radiation levels grew, skepticism reached its high and some countries briefly considered taking the matter into their own hands. Eventually radiation levels decreased gradually, and Japan was left to deal with the issue themselves – perhaps temporarily at least.

However, in not all aspects is Japan finding its footing alone. Thousands of men and women from all walks of life, all corners of the globe, have already arrived in the torn country to give aid. In the U.S. alone, millions of dollars have been donated through various organizations and charities to support the country. Overall, Japan noted that the global-support for its country’s crisis was overwhelming.

Currently, the death/missing toll has exceeded 15,000, and experts foresee the number rising over the course of the next few months. The number of towns destroyed is unreported, although experts believe it is in the hundreds. All in all, Japan has been hit with such a tragedy that we can expect decades of recovery; something quite tangible considering the island itself was moved 2.4 meters from the force of the earthquake.

After enduring one of the strongest earthquakes on record, Japan no doubt has a long recovery ahead, but through the support of millions of concerned citizens of the world, the country will continue to build strength and find its legs – despite the crises in which it has been dealt so apathetically.

Sports

Cougars load the bases nicoleHARRIS

sports editor

This years 2011 baseball team has taken a full swing into its season. The team has been working hard to perfect it’s teamwork, batting averages and number of wins. In the pre-season opener the boys played their hardest. With the combined help of Chris Frey, Brenden Hewett, Dominic Monda, and Bobby St. Julien the Cougar pitching was at an all time high, only allowing 4 hits and striking out 8 Eagle players. The team is hoping to keep their winning streak going of 7-3.

In the teams first home game of the season against Largo, junior Vinny Ballentoni threw an entire game with only one hit. Ballentoni had an astounding 13 strikeouts with only 3 walks. Chris Frey was the hot hitter, with 2 hits and 2 RBI’s (runs batted in). Frey doubled in Hewett, and Monda with only one out to take on a 2-0 lead over Largo high, winning the game.

“All of our wins are a team effort, if we didn’t work together it wouldn’t happen.” said senior Brad Dunham.

The game against Northport on Friday, February 18th, was their toughest game yet. The boys trailed the Bobcats 5-0 until the 6th inning when Countryside was up to bat. The team yelled to get the hitter pumped up, and it worked. Monda got the first hit of the game, starting

a hitting streak. The boys got 2 bases loaded walks, and 3 hits. An error brought Monda back for a second time to the plate, and with bases loaded he hit the ball to centerfield bringing home 3 players, making the score 7-5. With a shocked crowd, Brad Dunham came to the plate for his second round, and hit a single, letting Monda get another run, winning the game with a final score of 8-5.

Sometimes, the game is just not on the Cougars side.

In the games against Riverview, and Seminole the boys weren’t at their best. Seminole played a good game, taking an early lead. Countryside played their hardest tieing the game up twice. Due to an error however, the Warhawks took the win.

The game against Clearwater Central Catholic was yet another nail biter. The boys trailed behind Marauders 5-0 until the bottom of the 6th inning. The Cougars started to rally as Kiefer Sullivan and Frey hit back to back doubles, making the score 5-2. With 2 outs, Hewett went up to bat, and with bases loaded, he hit a 2 run double bringing in 3 to tie the game. Dalton Martinez then, hit a single to bring in Hewett and put the boys in the lead by one. Later in the game, the Cougars got 3 more runs. CCC was sent home, heads hanging with a final score of 9-5. This victory score was the same as last years (7-19) team.

Coach O’Sullivan is in disbelief at how his team has changed in one year.

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Fastpitch to perfection kelleyBUTTERFIELD

staff writer

Fastpitch Softball can be very dangerous because of how quick everything happens. The speed of the game is based on how many miles per hour the pitcher can throw, how the girls control the ball, and how smoothly the batter can run. Freshman pitcher, Eryn Rowe, can pitch about 85 miles per hour.

Rowe has a special technique called blind pitching, where she closes her eyes and pitches. Rowe usually throws a strike when she uses this technique. Second baseman, Morgan Berger, and third baseman, Erin Jankiewicz, are just two of the great new additions to the team.

Freshman outfielder, Turiah Benhakuma, said ”Softball is a really fun sport and I love the games, they are so intense. I like the high school team a lot because everyone has different talents.” The whole team agrees that missing outs and losing is the worst part of the game as would any other sport.

Softball uses lots of energy that is displayed on the players’ faces . “You must be energetic to play the sport or you’ll die out there.” says Eryn Rowe. They come off the field sweaty but smiling after a crowd screaming victory.

So far our girls are 8-4 and working hard for a PCAC, district, and state title.

P

itcher Eryn Rowe throws a strike against Northport. Photo credit Kelley Butterfield

NFL in contract disputes zachSTEELE

staff writer The week after the Super Bowl the absence of football every Sunday is painfully obvious. However, the thought of a new season seems to keep the avid fan going through the never ending off-season. This year though, the week after the Super Bowl was a little more stressful for fans, seeing as this might be the last we see of the game for quite some time. Currently the NFL Players Association and NFL owners are at a stale-mate, and cannot seem to reach an agreement, leaving a 2011 NFL season at risk. If a deal isn’t reached, this could mean either no football at all for the next season(or at least until a new deal is reached) or players being replaced until a deal can be reached(although this is highly unlikely). There have been two strikes in NFL history, occurring in 1982 and 1987(Both only lasted a short period of time, 1982 having no football and 1987 having replacements).

The main two issues that seem to be delaying negotiations are the possibility of an 18 schedule and formerplayer insurance. The 18 game schedule, would require the removal of two pre-season games, and then turning them into regular season games. Now on the surface this doesn’t sound to bad, the amount of games technically wouldn’t change, although to NFL players this is a huge change.

Most starters on teams rarely see the field during the preseason to avoid injury, and the sound of two more hardhitting regular season games in place means more risk of injury for them. Also, NFL coaches seem to disagree with this change, as the four pre-season games are important for evaluating talent and making important decisions. The former-player insurance problem has become extremely serious with the now surfacing detailed descriptions of the life after retirement for players. Retired players are asking for much more benefits, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t deserve them.

Unfortunately, all fans can do at this point is wait and hope. Only time will tell if the NFL will be around in 2011, or if we will be getting used to some new names and faces on the football field. One thing is for sure, whether it’s replacements, or no football at all, the economy doesn’t need this right now. The current agreement ended on March 3, although it has been extended several times, and the NFL Players Association plans to take the owners to court. If this fails, the outlook for another great season of football doesn’t look good at all. On March 11, the union made the critical decision to decertify, and announced that players such as Tom Brady and Drew Brees would be the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit. This move allows for individual players to sue the NFL, and appears to be a final act of desperation by the NFL Players Association.

9

Injury prone: What to do?

pain is to come. The prevention of these afflictions can begin with strengthening these weak areas and being sure not to strain them too much. Once again, slowly get back into the activity. Although the pain may be gone, it A football player collapses to the ground, a tennis player doesn’t necessarily mean the injury is fully healed. drops their racket and grabs their calf, and a cheerleader Overuse can potentially tear up the body. There are howls in pain as she falls from the top of the pyramid. A outstanding numbers of injuries that come from the condirect hit, a wrong step, or a team losing their balance can cause many of these mishaps. In every sport, athletes are stant usage of the area that has been affected. Some comvulnerable to injuries. Every athlete is prone to get hurt at mon afflictions that come from overuse are frozen shoulder, least once, whether it is something minor like a bruise or tendinitis, shin splits and foot strain. Some action may not something major like a muscle tear, a broken leg or a con- result in injuries but if there is constant pressure or movecussion. Some injuries are outside an athlete’s control, but ment at the agitated spot, something bigger is bound to appear. Strengthening these areas and stretchcommon muscle and tendon ailments can be prevented. these injuries. Also makSports injuries vary from minor aches to extreme pains. ing will prevent movements smoother The most common affliction comes from constant, strenu- ing your on m will keep these pains ous activity. Lack of water may cause injuries such as musom c from appearing. Like cle cramps while funny or awkward movements can st o always, when the be the culprit to neck pain. Other common : m re

n pain has subsided, a injuries include frozen shoulder, e t es i p slowly get back to lower back pain, tendinitis, r o t ju e n the sport before runner’s knee, shin i h T rt exerting youro splits, twisted ankle, r sp e self fully. d Achilles tendon and n i pa houl in

foot arch strain. Alk a s c Competitive ne zen kp though these aren’t the c * a o b athletes r only injuries seen in an

* f ower itis ee should

athlete’s career, they are n * l endo rs kn expect to the most common. These s expericommon injuries can be clas* t unne plint le n r k s ence sified under awkward moveo n * hin ed a tend ain some ments and overuse. s n ai * tr ist les p type of s The body is very sensitive to w * t chil arch scle injury at some movements if it hasn’t warmed A t mu point, but knowledge * up or been streghted. If an activity oo PS/ f M and good practices can help to is begun without warning the body A * cR prolong an athlete’s general health and is bound to react. Common injuries * welfare. Even though most athletes may not that occur when this happens are in treasure the conditioning it takes to play their sport, it the muscles, and joints. Starting up to fast may cause an injury such as a muscle pull is vital to build up their muscle strength and endurance. or runners knee. To help these pains from r e t u r n - Although sprints, running, squats, sit ups, core strength ing an athlete can drink lots of water and streght before conditioning, pushups and other preventive measures may and after they have worked out. They also should slowly draw scowls and grimaces, these exercises actually help to build up the muscles around the joints and they help to get back to activity as opposed to jumping right back in.

Other awkward movements can cause injuries such protect an athlete from injury. Stretching before and after as lower back aches, twisted ankles and neck pains. Quick participating in sports, is another preventative measure. If movement that the body is not prepared for are the cause an athlete does suffer from a mishap, Advil, ice and rest behind these injuries. Time and rest are the most crucial are usually temporary solutions. However, if a condition details when dealing with pains such as these. If they are becomes chronic, a doctor, who is a sports specialist, can continually used after the injury has been set more severe offer the best advice for what to do. danaHARRIS

staff writer

Panico is Perfection a.j.CABERTO

opinion/grub editor

The Wall of Fame wall is how Countryside High School shows appreciation for an athletes’ great success. Getting your name on the wall is not as easy as showing up and simply doing well in your sport.

They are looking for many qualities (Im going to interview the coaches), in which Lexi Panico is qualifies.

Panico, 17, has been playing basketball ever since she was five years old. Though she is not just about shooting some hoops, there is another side to her as she is always prepared to learn in her seat.

It has been 18 years since a basketball player has been nominated for an all state award. It is not as easy as it sounds, Panico has been doing her very best during her tournaments. Her statistics are over the top and out-bests the other athletes on her team. She is also known for her stealing and blocks, for she has the most amount of it out of her whole team. Her shooting percentage is also one of the best. In fact she was in the St. Pete’s Times twice: Once for being nominated for top county scorers and another for All Conference top players in the Northern County. This girl’s success is just unbelievable. One of her goals is to be in Countryside High School’s wall of fame, in which she will soon find out.

Panico’s height is what motivated her

photo credit: A.J. Caberto

Sports

to play basketball when she was just 5 years old. As she grew older, she began to enjoy it even with tough coaches that got in her way. She even had the dream of becoming a professional basketball player in Europe, in which she is working on. While waiting, Panico’s name is already in many college’s list of future students. Many of these school have called her to join their basketball team. Some of these schools are University of Tampa, F. I . U . , Florida G u l f Coast Univ e r s i t y, and Florida Southern University. These schools have been calling her because of her many accomplishments.

Lexi Panico is always working her way up. She believes that with no pain, there will be no gain. Imagine this, a Countryside High School class of ‘12 student playing for a European team. How lucky is this school to have her. Someday she will be on international television playing and representing for America.

Entertainment The future of game franchises parkerANDERSEN

entertainment editor As many gamers know, the Halo and Call of Duty series are two of the most popular video game franchises to date. Having come out with a game every year for the last several years, Call of Duty has become the most popular multi platform franchise of all time. Halo, on the other hand, has come out with a game every 3 years and is solely on the Xbox consoles and PC. The Halo franchise has been dropped by Bungie and is now controlled by 343 Industries. 343 Industries has been working on the Halo franchise since near the release of Halo 3 in 2007, and was originally created to supervise and take a back seat to Bungie. photo credit: gamingbolt.com As the company in charge of the next Halo game, 343 Industries has created a map pack for the newest Halo game, Halo: Reach, partially to see what they could do with the game without having to create an entirely new one.

As for the Call of Duty franchise, there has already been an announcement for the next game in the series.

The game has been announced as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” and the companies that will be working on it are Infinity Ward and a newcomer, Sledgehammer Games.

Sledgehammer Games is made up of the former team members of Visceral Games, the company that created the Dead Space series. It is rumored that Sledgehammer Games will take on half of the workload of the campaign while Infinity photo credit: destructoid.com Ward takes the other half. Another company being thrown into the mix is Raven Software, who is working on the multiplayer portion of the game.

Many gamers have probably already decided whether or not they will be playing future Halo or Call of Duty titles. It will be interesting to see what the changes will do to these video game powerhouses, and hopefully, the changes will not only keep the attention of old fans, but manage to gain the attention of those who are new to the world of gaming.

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Photoshop: plastic surgery of new media alexANDERSEN

technical director

Take a look at your surroundings. Do you see any magazines laying around, perhaps an advertisement on the table, or maybe a newspaper is lying next to you? In most, if not all, of these items, Photoshop is involved. We are surrounded by edited images every second of our lives.

Even when we are driving, we see billboards and advertisements that have used image editing software. Almost all of us feel inclined to change ourselves into something we’re not. With Photoshop’s limitless tools, anyone can edit and transform an image into something that is unattainable.

With all of this perfection around us, it makes some of us wonder if we are attractive or not. Young girls are affected by these images more than guys are. According to aboutourkids.org, 47% of fifth to twelfth graders said they wanted to lose weight because of magazine pictures. Since we are surrounded by perfection, some of us try to change ourselves in drastic ways that only a computer can do. Photoshop’s liquify tool allows the user to change the shape of a person; in turn, making their bodies thinner, more defined, and attractive. The clone stamp tool can make blemishes disappear and pimples vanish, making a persons

skin appear flawless. Lastly, the color adjustment sliders can change the hue, contrast, and brightness of a persons skin, so that they can receive the prefect tan.

When sophomore, Shelly Saini was asked if she photo credit: Alex Andersen felt self conscious when she sees photoshopped images, she said, “No, because those people don’t really look like that, everyone has their flaws.”

Whether these images affect us or not they will always be a part of our lives. We have to understand that we all have our flaws and we should not be ashamed of ourselves.

So, never forget to be your own person and always have confidence, even though all of these taunting images try to change our perception of perfection.

Hits and misses at the Oscars zachSTEELE

staff writer

The 83rd Academy Awards nominations occurred on January 25, 2011. Ever since then movie-goers began rushing to see the highly regarded films, most importantly the Best Picture nominees: 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone.

Toy Story 3 was the highest grossing film of 2010, but an animated film has never won this prestigious award before(Toy Story 3 being the third animated film nominated for best picture in history). The King’s Speech lead all films with twelve nominations, the next closest being True Grit(remake of the original classic of the same name) which had ten nominations.

The Award show occurred on February 27, and the show itself was an up and down success. There were high moments like great performances by Randy Newman(who would later go on to win Best Original Song for “We Belong Together” from

Toy Story 3) and wonderful tributes to movies and actors throughout history. Then, there were low moments like Melissa Leo(Winner of Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Fighter) dropping an F-bomb, Kirk Douglas at age 94 ranting for way over his allotted time, and James Franco(reportedly high throughout the night) and Anne Hathaway combining for a disappointing hosting job.

Inception and The King’s Speech both tied for the most awards won, however, Inception won all its awards in the technical categories, while The King’s Speech won its four all in the major categories, giving it a feeling of owning the night.

Best Picture- The King’s Speech Best Director- Tom Hooper(The King’s Speech) Best Actor- Colin Firth(The King’s Speech) Best Actress- Natalie Portman(Black Swan) Best Supporting Actor- Christian Bale(The Fighter) Best Supporting Actress- Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Continued...

LIBYA, CONTINUED FROM FOCUS PAGE 6

The United States is not unfamiliar with the Benghzai region of Libya. April 15, 1986, under Ronald Reagan, the United States Military bombed the capital city of Tripoli in an operation code-named “Operation El Dorado Canyon”. Reagan claimed that the Libyan government was planning terrorism attacks against the United States. After shooting down a Libyan passenger plane and killing roughly 100 civilians, the U.S. military retreated. Conflicts with Libya continued -- obviously, considering the current situation -- when two years after Operation El Dorado Canyon, Libya bombed a passenger plane flying over Lockerbie, Scotland.

After nearly three decades of simmering relations with Libya, the United States has brought itself into yet another foreign issue. Although Congress has not declared officially how long, or exactly what the purpose of bombing Libya is, skeptics predict the conflict will not be resolved within the next few months. While the U.S.’ military continues it’s strategic plan to weaken Gadaffi’s forces, the American public stands by to watch as the clash in Libya continues to worsen.

Prom s p i T

ions t a v r se our re y e k s 1. Ma early our friend y with nsive jew, l o o e rp 2. Ca t wear exp lose it ’ u 3. Don incase yo r tickets erly et you g r o f ’t D 4.Don and I er parties t at af e f a s 5. Be

FACEBOOK, CONTINUED FROM OPINION PAGE 3 ance. Unfortunately, one site was not enough, weeks later it would duplicate, as if a Zombie Apocalypse was coming to judge people’s appearances. The fact that this site has plenty of friends, makes it even more humiliating. The question is that; is it a crime? Possibly an invasion of someones privacy, or a hate crime, which in fact causes many suicides?

Or maybe it is not, that it is no big deal; those are just friends fighting, or people losing confidence.

Quarrel(s) between friends, online fights and etcetera were some of the problems this facebook page had caused. Whoever started this was not thinking. If he/she thought optimistically, then he/she is not going to have a good future. Always think before you act, because you never know what it will do to other people. photo credit Megan Mason

SAT, CONTINUED FROM NEWS PAGE 4 classes are an easy and free way to brush up on SAT materials, often giving students like Lauren an extra boost.

Prep classes are also available outside of school, at businesses like Sylvan Learning Center or Princeton Review.

Classes can take place anywhere from one to three times a week and cover all subjects present on the SAT. Senior Kathleen O’Leary explained her reasoning for choosing to take such classes; “I wanted a more intense class than the school offered, but private tutoring was too expensive. The class brought my score up 200 points, including writing.”

With about half the pupils of in-school prep classes and a more rigorous curriculum, it’s no wonder Kathleen made such an improvement. Out-of-school SAT preparation courses vary in cost, but they generally require less dough than private tutoring A final alternative to prepping for the SAT? Some students simply use a book to go over it in their spare time, while some do nothing (unless you count eating a hearty breakfast that morning). “I already took the SAT once without practicing first to acquire a ‘control score.’ Now I can focus on the subjects I'm lacking in,” said Frank Rutherford, a junior at Countryside. Some students achieve the score they want on their first try, while others continue to struggle till they finally reach their goal. Whether they study on their own time, in a class, or not at all, it’s important that each college-bound student finds what works for them in order to achieve their optimum score.

11

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diq .com allp ape rsw. w ww

Prom is looked upon as the ultimate high school right of passage. Hollywood has produced countless movies featuring a prom theme. In Foot Loose, the 1984 classic, the idea of a senior prom was depicted so vital that a troupe of teenagers assembled against their repressed small town to earn the privilege to the dance. Some others include Pretty in Pink, A Cinderella Story, and even the horror film Carrie.

However, the exclusivity of this magical “night to remember” dance is being called into question. In recent years, prom has been open to both the Junior and Senior classes. This brings concern that this once in a lifetime experience isn’t so “once” in a life time after all.

Prom was intended to be a senior privilege; a dance held at the end of the year as a reward and to celebrate graduation. If Juniors are allowed to partake in the events, does it not trump its significance? “I think prom should be strictly for Seniors because it makes the dance more special. It’s not just a regular dance, it’s a one time experience that shouldn’t be repeated.” said senior, Ornela Hystuna.

Another consideration for the dance to be open to two grade levels, ensures the majority of students will be attending twice, therefore paying twice. There are numerous expenses attached to prom that exceed the $50.00 ticket price. For girls it ranges from the dress, to shoes, followed by a trip to the salon.

For the guys there are dress clothes, a corsage for their date, and possibly even a limo. The idea that so much money is frivolously spent away for a few hours of entertainment is concerning , but the end result of the unforgettable night justifies the means.

However, it is difficult to be able to pay this hefty sum twice. Living in Pinellas County, one of the richest districts in this area, a significant number of students families could comfortably afford this. Yet, what of the lower income families that are not as privileged. It would be difficult for those parents to deprive their children of the experience their peers will be enjoying. Is it right, though, to place this extra financial obstacle on the parents by allowing both Juniors and Seniors to attend Prom?

Though, the significant duty of planning prom does fall to the Junior class. They form the prom committee which entails everything from selecting a theme to decorating the venue. A fitful reward in thanks may be allowing the Junior class to be admitted into the dance.

A clear argument can be made for both sides of the controversy, but as of now, it appears that there will be no sudden change to the current prom admission policy. Students will have to make the most of their special dance in an attempt to carry on the ideals of a senior prom.

edit

Once in a lifetime?

staff writer

pho to c r

kellyPETTIT

Dress the night away

Promparazzi nicoleHARRIS

sports editor

Prom is back! It’s that time of year again. The school year is coming to a close, and romance is in the air with the thought of the magical dance for juniors and seniors.

With a theme like the Night of Enchantment, ladies across Countryside High School are looking for the perfect gown to wear.

Where can they go to get a cheap price without losing that breathtaking look? Here are a list of places to check out: Nikki’s Boutique in Tarpon Springs has tons of dresses from top designers that don’t have the top designer price, CC’s Boutique in Tampa and St. Petersburg has gowns from every designer, all the way from Daymor to Jovani.

Also, for some unfortunate families, it’s hard to buy a dress at all; therefore, some profit organizations have joined together to form the Belle of the Ball It is a project to help struggling families, they have everything from the dress to accessories to shoes. It is open on Saturdays on March 26, April 2, 9, 30, and May 7th from 10-2 at 11201 Park Blvd. N., Seminole, Fla., at Seminole Mall next to Ross Department Store.

At CHS we have the Cougar Closet which gives away free dresses and clothes to anyone who needs them. The Cougar Closet is located in the A wing by the Career Center. For more information stop by Mrs. Hussar’s office next to J wing.

This year there is a special chance for students in need to experience the prom dress shopping adventure. Students can try on dresses and select one for free. Contact Ms. Mac in L5 for more information.

For all those girls out there, don’t miss out on an opportunity to have an amazing night wearing a beautiful gown.

Check out all of these places, and have an amazing night.