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Volume XX
Bloomingdale High School 1700 E. Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, FL 33596
November/December 2009
2009 Poetry Jam By : Sloane Hovan Nervous anticipation filled the Media Center on Wednesday, December 2nd, as students of all grades listened intently to poet-turned-performer Walter “Wally B.” Jennings. “When I say spoken, you say words!” shouted Jennings, “Spoken!” “Words!” the students enthusiastically replied. Thus was the beginning of the 2009 Bloomingdale Poetry Jam. A total of 21 dynamite poets gathered together to share their poetry while also competing for a chance to represent the school downtown at the County Competition. This year Bloomingdale was fortunate enough to have Jennings host the event. Walter Jennings is a talented speaker who has been writing poetry for 20 years. He is the type of poet that can communicate with all ages, and has a passion for working with young adults. As founder of “Heard ‘Em Say” Teen Poetry Night, he strives to give the gift of expression to teens in the community. “It is a dream come true to be able to share my art with the young people,” states Jennings, “It’s something I have always wanted to do. I want young people to have a
creative outlet.” Jennings chose the first poet at random and declared that a panel of judges would be scoring the artists based on articulation, appropriate language, body language, eye contact, and originality. Katie Lombard, grade 12, was summoned to the front by the judges to start things off. “I was nervous to go first, and I think I messed up, but I was happy to share my poetry.” The contestants consisted of a mixture of students from various grades. Most knew each
other fairly well, but many still confessed to getting butterflies. “Pretty much everyone gets nervous when sharing poetry,” states senior Joshua Fisk, “Poets take off their mask in front of people.” Jennings looked on while the poets recited their words, congratulating each one for expressing such individuality and creativity. The majority of participants were new to writing poetry but a few, like Fisk, have been writing poetry for years. Still, with only three minutes to perform, even the most advanced poets were challenged. “It’s always a little nerve-racking,” explains Jennings,” but I have yet to find a person who has performed poetry in front of a crowd, that would not do it again.” Most of the students agree; the performing aspect of the Poetry Jam was just as enjoyable as the listening. “I enjoyed most of the poetry I heard,” replied junior Jericho Ginnity. The top three contestants were Kanika Philon, Reydiel Aguilar, and Elizabeth Feist. Philon, a senior this year, earned first place for her poetry and will represent Bloomingdale at the Performing Arts Center on January 15th.
“Wally B.” hosts the Poerty Jam here at Blomingdale High School. Photos courtesy of Bloomingdale Yearbook Staff
ADDICTED TO AP??? By: Sarah Binkerd As soon as we walk in the front door after a long day at school, the realization hits us that we have a good three hours of homework to face. The arduous tasks that await us include a lab write-up for AP Biology, a test review for AP Statistics, and a project to finish up for AP Literature. Between work, a social life, and sports, it is hard to complete Advanced Placement assignments while still preserving enough time in order to study to ensure an “A”. It is a frequent wonder how some of our classmates handle four, five, even six Advanced Placement courses along with their extracurricular activities. However, this thought often drifts to a feeling of sympathy towards those who are in an Advanced Placement class and struggle with the day-to-day commitment. “An AP course is rigorous,” says AP United States History teacher, Mrs. Sheila Cohen. “These courses include lots more work than an honors or regular class, and students must be self-motivated,” she says. If Advanced Placement classes are so difficult, why are so many students taking them? Surely not everyone can learn in such a fast-paced setting, or handle the course load presented by such a challenging class. Are we becoming addicted to AP? An Advanced Placement class surely presents appetizing benefits. A one-period class can add .08 to a GPA, while a double-period class like Biology or Physics can potentially boost a GPA by .12. With rising college standards, students may need to have extremely high GPA’s in order to be admitted into their college of choice. “Students are being faced with the realization
of competition in college,” says Cohen. And with valedictorians winning the class race with 6.0 or higher grade point averages, what student doesn’t want to boost their GPA with a few points? The problem is that many students do not realize the impending course load and commitment when they sit down with their parents and sign their course-selection sheet. And once you are in an AP class, you are in for the year. “The bad thing about AP classes is that once you have been in the class, you can’t get out. Some kids can’t learn in such a fast-paced class, and even if they are failing, they can’t switch to a different class,” says Mallory Nelson, 12.
Some Popular AP Classes Include:
World History United States History Psychology Biology Environmental Science Language and Composition Literature Statistics Calculus Teachers are also finding faults with the way
students are being pushed into an advanced setting. With angry e-mails from parents with struggling children and the constant backlask from students themselves, its no surprise teachers are feeling the pressure. “In general, students are not well-advised as to what classes they should or should not take,” says long-time AP teacher Mr. David Goowill when discussing the increase of AP class selection. Many among the senior and junior classes are stuffing their course load with Advanced Placement classes, with lunch and the occasional elective pick as buffers between the strenous periods. “Most people don’t take five or six college classes when they are actually in college and have more time. Why would a student want to take that many AP classes in high school?” asks Goodwill. Nowadays, a plethora of Advanced Placement classes must be included on a student’s agenda to even be considered in the race for valedictorian. Is the race for a high GPA hurting the rest of the students who are not able to effectively learn in such a setting? Sure, AP classes are beneficial to your GPA. And they certainly prepare you for college through the tough coursework and fast-paced learning environment. But no one should enter an Advanced Placement class blindly; realizing that your social life will take a hit and that you will have to work extremely hard to get the “A” or “B” you strive for should be considered before signing up for such a class. Because once you are in, it’s sink or swim.