Devil's Advocate (Issue 3 | 2012-2013) by Devil's Advocate

devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advocate stanton college preparatory school

your stories. your school. your voice.

CREATIVE OUTLETS

Through art, music, dance, and poetry, to creatively express themselves. By SAVANNAH MIKA

no. 3 | march 2013 devilsadvocatepaper.blogspot.com

devil’s advocate Got Sleep?

Online Personalities

Athlete of the Issue:

Kendal Williams

On cover: Freshman Karli Kearney expresses herself through modern dance.

Cover Story: Self Expression

Devil’s Advocate

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Column:

Appreciation

Point of View

Contributing Advocates

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B Y T H E N UMB E RS

GOT SLEEP?

Results of the Stanton Sleep Deprivation Survey Average Hours of Sleep per Week Night

To most Stanton students, getting eight hours of sleep is a rare occurrence. The endless projects, assignments and essays quite often cause sleep deprivation, but many students are not aware of the adverse effects it may have on their growing bodies.

13% 41%

According to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2007, only 8 percent of high schoolers in America are getting the amount of sleep they need. Over 50 percent of high school students go to bed later than 11 p.m., and studies also show that over half of the national high school population surveyed has admitted to driving while severely drowsy. In fact, 67 percent of Stanton students surveyed admitted to being sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation is not some irrelevant or uncommon ocurrence among the adolescent population. It is threatening the physical and mental health of countless high school students across the country. In a rigorous school like Stanton College Preparatory, it is guaranteed that sleep deprivation is a commonality and the consequences can be detrimental. A large number of people, especially hard-working high of sleep a day just to work on a big project or study for an exam. “Sometimes I’ll be up until four in the morning doing homework,” said senior Ellie Cobb. They do not understand the true nature of sleep itself. There is a plethora of different ways that sleep deprivation is harmful. Studies conducted by a Jacksonville biosignature practitioner Kat Eden show that people who have been awake for over 17 hours will leave them with a reaction response similar to that of an intoxicated person with a Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) greater than 0.5, while BALs at least 0.8 is considered intoxicated. Without proper sleep, the body is unable to perform some of its most basic tasks of homeostasis. Homeostasis, or the process used by the body to maintain a stable internal environment, is essential for healthy body functions such as heartbeat and blood pressure. Leading sleep researchers T.S. Wiley and Bent Formby also conducted studies that show a close connection between a lack of sleep and the increasing existence of obesity in our society. Poor sleep habits may cause one’s body to release stress hormones such as cortisol which increases blood sugar levels and suppresses the immune system to decrease stress. These hormones actually work against sleep and signal your body to store fat. If the physical detriments of sleep are not convincing Science Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll found that among adolescents who reported being unhappy, 73 percent of them reported that they were not getting enough sleep at night. Not only does sleep deprivation weaken natural energy, it also weakens mood regulation causing abnormal depression and irritability. After a long day of working and processing, the conscious must go on its vacation to relax, process everything that happened during the day, and store energy for the next day.

photo by Laura Gerbec

By KYLE SANCHEZ, Student Life Reporter

When the mind has not been given enough time on vacation, it is unable to function at its full potential. Since statistics have shown that such an overwhelming majority of that many people do not seem to understand how important this process really is. They may treat sleep as something optional or rather a waste of time. It is fundamental that high school students grasp the fact that their bodies and minds depend on sleep. At a challenging and stressful school like Stanton, sleep deprivation is present throughout the student population to Nemours Children’s Clinic, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 need about eight hours of sleep per night. A survey of 63 Stanton students shows that only 13 percent of students at Stanton get at least eight hours of sleep per night. Furthermore, 67 percent of these students stated that they are sleep deprived. With such prestigious expectations and rigorous courses, these statistics are hardly surprising. Unfortunately, an abundance of

46%

4-5 Hours

6-7Hours

8+ Hours

Luckily, of the 63 students the Devil’s Advocate surveyed, none of them answered that they received on average two to three hours of sleep on a weeknight, but the data still shows a disturbing trend. A teenager is recommended around eight hours of sleep a night, and yet only 13 percent of our results are receiving that amount. Their hectic schedules and workas four nights a week, in order to get all their work done, as displayed in the next graph.

Average Nights per Week

school work. While education is important, students should realize that they are risking their physical and psychological health by depriving themselves of sleep so often. According to

19%

at least two hours of typical sleep for at least four nights per week. “Failure is such a frightening thing at Stanton. When I have homework, I will do anything to get it completed,” said

44% 20%

several hours of sleep a night.” The survey also showed that 83 percent of students recognized that they should get at least six hours of sleep per night, yet barely any of them do. It can be inferred from the statistics that Stanton is full of sleep deprived students that are fully aware that they are sleep-deprived, but continue choosing their homework over sleep. These students need to be aware that their physical health may be at stake during these situations. “I feel sluggish, exhausted, and just overall stressed throughout the school week. I feel the same vibes from everyone else at this school. We’re all sleep deprived,” said senior Jenna Kovacs. Sleep is not just a daily tool of relaxation, it is something crucial to several body and mental functions. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of waking life, including mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even weight. While academic and social stress may

school work. At Stanton, this may come as no surprise, but this trend can lead to detrimental effects on our individual students. Another trend that showed up in our survey was that of 67 percent of students feeling that they are currently sleep-deprived, although 83 percent of the students surveyed admitted that it is necessary to get at least six hours of sleep a night. It is not the fact that students are not aware of

times per week, students should be aware of the impact of this

it for their schoolwork.

16%

1 Night

2 Nights

3 Nights

4+ Nights

Our survey showed that a majority of our students

necessary hours of sleep their body craves. @OnlyAtStanton do we have a Star Trek movie festival

4 / devil’s advocate / student life

@OnlyAtStanton when writing in cursive is the hardest part of the PSAT

@OnlyAtStanton do we park our cars on the track

O n l i niees Pe r s o n a l i t

porter

ent Life Re ADSHAW, Stud

By AUVION BR

photo by Kathryn McMullen

s who we e im t e m So found e b n a c e want to b k of a mouse. clic with the

Teenagers are in the process of developing their identity and discovering their role in society. With today’s current technology, most teenagers use the latest social networking sites to create nication with their peers, there are always certain behaviors and demeanors exhibited to enhance their image. However, does the scene? What does it reveal about their character? Teens are looking to portray themselves in a particular

teacher based off the tweets they make during that class,” said sophomore Taylor Age. If there is a student who is an introvert at school, but makes vulgar tweets on Twitter, then those tweets are false fronts as the process by which an individual learns and adapts the ways, ideas, beliefs, values, and norms of their culture and makes them part of his personality. Stanton senior Katie Drell believes teenagers just want to be accepted.

Erik Erikson, a 20th century psychoanalyst, during the adolescence stage of his developmental psychosocial stages, which with identity versus role confusion in which he believed teens must develop a sense of self and personal identity. Over the past few years, many social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr have grown in popularity. With the use of unique in a fashion that they want the world to see them, although it may not match their true identity. In person, students do not always act the same. Stanton English teacher Ms. Tia Thomas one’s identity. “It provides an opportunity to express themselves to be who they wish to be whether they can or cannot because of lack of communication or social awkwardness,” said Ms. Thomas. A child’s demeanor can adjust whenever their environment changes. The “teacher’s pet” who is overly polite and courteous yearn for whether it be for grades, favoritism, or priority. This is a classic example of a student posing to be something they are not, especially if their peers know how vulgar that student’s language is, and how disrespectful and deceitful the student truly is. “They [students] want to leave teachers with a positive impression of them regardless how they act outside of class but to fellow peers we know how they really feel about that

then it’s obviously for attention; they resort to being a clown online,” said Drell. the rest of society even if it means changing who they truly are. Students become so concerned with wanting to gain attention for all the wrong reasons, they don’t realize what false perceptions and claims they make online can lead to. It’s understandable that adolescents may have self-esteem issues, but that does not permit them to present themselves falsely. Most youth are familiar with the application Instagram, one of many online photo sharing and social networking services. Users can upload pictures and enhance them to show their followers. With the app bringing in much popularity, it has became a center for manipulation. People have the ability to make false pages or pose as someone else. A popular idea on both Twitter and Instagram is to create mock celebrity pages, seemingly making users believe they are following their idol or favorite musician. Imagine the disappointment of discovering that a high school freshman is running the page. followers would receive free FootLocker gift cards. After they it was just a kid who wanted more followers,” said junior Jared Roy. Nowadays, some teenagers do anything to strengthen their ideal image.

@OnlyAtStanton would you use “senior skip day” to study and do homework

Many students would not think that online bullying would main goal is to gain wanted attention to be noticed. However, people don’t second guess the things they post online and how it affects others, or they choose to ignore those things. Freshman Kiaharrra Muldrow witnessed bullying on Twitter against one of her good friends. “A fellow sophomore called my friend ugly and continued to subtweet about her for no apparent reason but, in school she said hello as if things were okay,” said Muldrow. People can be easily offended by bitter comments or remarks made online. Amongst teenagers who share common tendencies, they relate better by targeting the weak, less fortunate, insecure, and connection to others by degrading fellow peers and gaining attention from it. “They have something to hide behind so there are no repercussions this way; they are not bold enough to come out and say it,” said Drell. Through the means of technology, kids can use it as a barrier to mask who they really are and project a personality they feel would gain acceptance. “If a person is exhibiting some sort of behavior online, it would be easier for someone who does not know the individual to be intimidated; however, it isn’t a threat if I know the person,” said Ms. Thomas. It was never ‘in style’ to hurt other people just to make it socially acceptable for one’s own good. Even teachers can attest to this. Sophomore Portia Akins was victimized by one of her close friends online; however, their relationship in school was the complete opposite. “In school we were like the best of friends yet, I would get online and I’d see she would make random indirect comments about me,” said Akins. What is the driving force that makes kids bluff about their personality and behavior online? “They can escape from who they truly are online,” said junior Tiffany Evans. Teens seem to have their own way to portray who they wish to be online, yet some of them do not understand the circumstances of their actions. @OnlyAtStanton is losing your planner like losing a family member

student life / march 2013 / 5

On the Right Track: Kendal Williams, High School Phenom By EMILY ISELEY, Sports Reporter

painted white line that is holding him back from 200 meters of curved rubber track. A man in a sweat suit points a gun into the sky. “On your mark!” Williams rests his left foot onto the holding block, his right follows. “Get set!” With both hands secure on the ground, Williams takes one last deep breath, his muscles coiled and ready to spring free. The gun goes off. Florida track competitors can only expect to have a view of the back of Kendal Williams’ jersey in a sprint. He has made this obvious to them ever win the 200-meter dash in a state championship. He has continued reminding his competitors of his speed through a number of records, medals and trophies all acquired through an astonishing number of victories. It looks like notice of this young track star. Williams was already running the 200-meter dash in mid-22 seconds, a time fast enough to break his middle school, Darnell Cookman’s, record with no training whatsoever. When coaches and other observers saw his potential, Williams began taking track more seriously. football,” said Williams. “I kept on doing it when I realized it was fun and that I was really fast.” Williams joined the First Coast Track Club, where he was introduced to his current coach, James May. With his new club, Williams works on muscle building and explosive speed exercises. As he increased his training, his times continually decreased, a good thing in track. Today, he holds a personal record of 20.89 seconds for the 200-meter dash, making him the fastest 200meter runner in the world of the 1995 age group. “I train six days a week,” said Williams. “That’s one day off. It’s usually one and a half hours but days a week, but for two and a half hours.” Coach May and Williams are working to reach his goal of this season, 10.2 seconds in the 100-meter and a 20.6 seconds in the 200-meter dash, not that far off from his current personal records of 10.6 seconds in the 100-meter dash and a 20.89 seconds in the 200-meter dash, but in track, every millisecond counts. His goal times the 2013 FHSAA 3A Outdoor State Finals this year, also making it his third state title in a row. This is all part of a plan leading Williams to his 6 / devil’s advocate / sports

farthest reaching goal: the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. With times that already rival some of the contestants in the 2012 USA Olympic trials, Williams actually has a good chance of making it to Rio, an accomplishment that only our society’s greatest athletes can claim. “I’ll be there one day,” said Williams. If I don’t make it to 2016 I’ll be ready for the next one.” As unusual as Williams’ speed is, he isn’t without rivals. He considers his biggest sprinter from Orlando that’s committed to FSU, but for their football team instead. The two junior sprinters from Florida have gone head-to-head in several meets, one of them being the notorious Williams, who placed fourth in the 100-meter dash. Williams returned in 2012 and was able to grab second place, however, this was not enough that year. Despite some serious competition in the 100-meter dash, Williams’ times in the 200 have been unrivaled in Florida since the graduation of Arman Hall. The young track star has already been the topic of several local news outlets, such as the Florida Times-Union and MileSplit.us. However, recognition of him became most widespread when he was featured in the August 29, 2011 edition of Sport’s Illustrated. The article, “Faces in the Crowd” by Alexandra Fenwick, listed some of Williams most celebrated accomplishments. This includes being undefeated during the summer of his freshman year in the intermediate boys’ 100 and 200-meters at the USA Youth Nationals, as well as the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics and the AAU Club Nationals, all meets that runners from all over the nation come to compete in. “Getting national attentions not that bad,” said Williams. “But I can’t let it get to my head.” Being the State Champion of the 200-meter dash for both the years 2011 and 2012 is what Williams considers his biggest accomplishment. This year, Williams is aiming to win States again, but with another goal in mind as well. “My biggest goal is to make the junior USA team,” said Kendal Williams. As the blast of the gun registers through the sprinters ears, Kendal Williams bursts from the cutting through the air. The balls of his feet barely touch the ground before they lift off again, almost appearing blurry to viewers. What could be a lifetime but is actually a little less than 21 seconds passes. The race is over, but his road to success is just starting.

High School Career Achievements FHSAA 3A 200-meter State Champion in both 2011 and 2012 USATF National Junior Olympic100-meter and 200-meter Champion AAU Club National 100-meter and 200-meter record Holder (Intermediate) photo by Kathryn McMullen

Standing in lane four of the rubber track, sprinter Kendal Williams bends down to lace up his barely three-ounce shoes. The voice of an announcer cuts through his meditation and announces the last call for the 200-meter dash.

USA Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championship 100-meter and 200-meter Champion

Michael Jordan. Case closed. This man is one of the most prominent athletes in the history of

Sports Reporter

Contributing Writer

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sports / march 2013 / 7

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STANTON

LIFE

A look at student life through the lens of a camera.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN McMULLEN, Photography Editor EMILY ISELEY, Sports Reporter

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or teenagers there is an ongoing struggle to show their individuality while being constantly exposed to an environment where conformity is the norm. Students at Stanton show their uniqueness and express their creativity using outlets such as visual arts, spoken performances, music, and dance. Some may pick up a guitar or speak poetry, As they pursue these activities many students develop talents for the things they are most passionate about.

Creative Outlets By SAVANNAH MIKA, Features Reporter

Students at Stanton College Preparatory School are often confronted with the challenge of having to define themselves in a world where individuality is frowned upon. Some students sacrifice their creative spirit and conform to societal norms; others find new outlets to express and share their creativity. This is their story...

The best part about expression through poetry is seeing and hearing other people react to what you write, and the feeling I have when I perform.

kids to expose and become passionate for creative activities. Due to these budget cuts, kids enrolled in Jacksonville public schools are being deprived of the arts education they deserve. In a January 2013 article published by the Florida Times-Union entitled “Duval superintendent makes vow for arts during Ribault town hall meeting,” reporter Khristopher J. Brooks quoted Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “Those kids at KIPP have music and art every day,” said Vitti. “This shouldn’t just be a KIPP strategy, this should also be a Duval County Public Schools strategy.” KIPP, or Knowledge Is Power Program, is a group of public charter schools all over the country. After Vitti visited these schools, he decided to it is important for students to recognize their creativity in whatever way suits them best. There are many different ways students can express their creativity; for example, they show their creativity through things like playing guitar or singing, dancing to hip hop, creating a visual masterpiece, or performing a poem or play in the spotlight.

MUSIC

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an impact on many students. Junior Jonathan Blackman uses music as his outlet and it has become an important part of his life. Blackman has been playing the guitar since he was 13-years-old, but did not start singing and writing music until his freshman year. To Blackman, music is a way to express himself when regular words cannot. He picked up a guitar and turned it into something he was passionate about and could communicate his feelings through. “Originally I started to play guitar because I knew girls liked it,” said Blackman. “This lasted for awhile until I truly found that I had fallen in love with making music and what music could do for people and myself.” Blackman’s commitment to his music is evident in the success of his single “This Town,” which is currently available on iTunes. Through his hard work he has been able to share his music to more people. “This year, I recorded my single that went live on iTunes, the single sold Music started as something small and grew until it became a part of who he is. Blackman aims to write music that touches other people and helps them express themselves in the same way that it does for him. Senior Luke Oakley is also involved with music, but not in the conventional way. Oakley is an aspiring rap artist. He uses his music as a way to express his feelings, with his lyrics in his songs being a gateway into his mind and views on the world. Even though his views may not always be one that everyone agrees with, he feels it is important to stand by his views. “When I express myself I want people to relate to me, but there are often times I will offend people which is completely okay with me. If I didn’t offend anyone that means I didn’t stand up for what I believed in,” said Oakley. His music allows him to let people in and show them the different emotions and feelings he has. In addition to helping him show his creativity and views, music also helps Oakley in school. “In my music I practice the use of rhetorical strategies to allow my lyrics deep into my vocabulary, which makes it easier to remember if a tricky word pops up on a test because I have used it previously.” Just like Oakley, music has been proven to help students excel in their academics. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, more than 25,000 secondary school students that were involved musically were better at math than those that were not involved with music.

Junior Desirae Lee is a performance poet and member of The Expressionists, Stanton’s spoken word poetry club.

schoolwork.

10 / devil’s advocate / features

features / march 2013 / 11

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Creative Outlets By SAVANNAH MIKA, Features Reporter

The best part about expression through poetry is seeing and hearing other people react to what you write, and the feeling I have when I perform.

MUSIC

”

Junior Desirae Lee is a performance poet and member of The Expressionists, Stanton’s spoken word poetry club.

schoolwork.

10 / devil’s advocate / features

features / march 2013 / 11

through a different medium. Sophomore Lahari Manchikanti is an artist who chooses to express her feelings through her works. She became involved with the arts when she was 2-yearsold and was inspired by her aunt and her father. “A blank canvas gives a lot of space to paint whatever you want how you want it, you have no rules or boundaries, just your imagination,” said Manchikanti. According to The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, students involved with art programs are more likely to accept themselves, develop more drive, and be more successful than students not involved with the arts. This shows being

DANCE

Sanchez, the arts help her in many ways. “Art helps me excel in academics because it gives me a nice refresher from my other classes and homework, and provides a way to let out my creative outlet, allowing me to focus on my other work when I need to,” said Sanchez.

Music is not the only form of creativity used by students; dance is also a very popular outlet people choose as a form of expression. Freshman Karli Kearney has been dancing for 12 years and over those years dance has become very important in shaping who she is as an individual. “When I’m dancing I feel like I’m in my own place, it’s so calming. It allows through dance rather than through her words. She feels she can use dance as a more creative way of expression. Dance allows people to use their physical movements to develop creativity through physical movements that communicate feelings and emotion. Sophomore Monica Koehler uses her dance skills to foster her creativity through her movements.

“

has been able to explore new opportunities. Art has inspired Sanchez to try new thus allowing her to pour her creativity into her work. “My creativity stems from either things that I am interested in or actual realities in my life, so the arts allow me to apply experiences and things that are important to me to my art pieces,” said Sanchez. With art being such a big part Sanchez’s life, she is able to represent her interests, feelings, and experiences through her drawing and painting.

SPOKEN WORD

When I’m dancing I feel like I’m in my own place, it’s so calming. -Karli Kearney, 9th

”

to communicate ideas and opinions through words and performance combined. Stanton’s Expressionists club allows students to showcase their ideas through spoken word poetry. This form of poetry allows students’ ideas to be easily heard and conveyed to other people. Senior George Abraham, president of the Expressionists club at Stanton, considers poetry to be the highest art form and loves using it to express himself.

Creativity

“I can’t concentrate on my homework without music,” said McKenzie. Sometimes I write little jingles for things I’m studying because it makes it easier to memorize them then reading the back of a note card.” McKenzie not only uses music to help her with her schoolwork, she also feels that music helps her to show her personality and accept herself. “I would be more comfortable expressing my emotions through a song then actually speaking about it,” said McKenzie. To her and others, music creates a safe-haven for kids to express their feelings in an easier way than just to talk about them.

to other people.

“Dance has always been a way for me to explore a more creative side of myself. It allows me to be artistic, but still physically active,” said Koehler. For her dancing has not just been an outlet of her creativity, it also has helped her gain “I have met so many people through dancing that support me no matter what,” said Koehler. “The support of all my friends from dance gives me the on stage allows Koehler to channel her creativity through her dance, while expressing her creativity to a large group of people at the same time. ing to EduDance, an organization that has already been introduced into some of California’s schools. The organization teaches the students different types of dances and some history behind each dance. It aims to get students involved with dance on the belief that connecting physical and mental actions could open up a new way of thinking. EduDance’s website also states that dancing can improve students’ way of thinking which causes them to do better in school, and it can also improve self-esteem and make students feel better by relieving stress. “Dancing really helps me to get rid of all my stress. I can just dance and for a little while I do not have to think about all the things that are on my mind,” Stanton dance team. she was only 2-years-old. She feels that dance helps her to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “When I am choreographing or learning a dance, I just forget all the stress thing else and I think having that escape is necessary for a healthy lifestyle.”

Showing creativity through dance involves lots of movement and so do the visual arts. Unlike the physical movement of dance, creativity and feeling are shown through the movement of colors and lines. The visual arts helps students take a blank canvas and turn it into something that represents their personalities. A painting makes it easier for students to portray their deeper feelings

12 / devil’s advocate / features

photo by Kathryn Mcmulllen

VISUAL ARTS

William “Bo” Phelan takes center stage as the character Prince Dauntless in the January 2012 production of Once Upon a Mattress.

“

Music is an outlet for my creativity. The more work I put in, the better I get. I have fun performing and it’s a good way to hang out with my friends because many of them also play music.

” Junior Alex Richardson plays the guitar and the ukulele. He is an active member of the Guitar Club.

features / march 2013 / 13

“ ”

Art is a way to let out my creativity. It allows me to express myself and my beliefs and motivations.

Junior Alyssa Sanchez has developed a passion for art over the past few years. She balances her artistic endeavors with her IB studies.

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liefs despite what others may think,” said Abraham, who also believes that being an Expressionist is not only about speaking one’s views, but also having the courage to express them in front of people. “To be an Expressionist is to be fearless at all levels, despite the presence of ignorance,” said to command the stage. To be able to fully express an idea in front of other people takes a lot of courage, especially when the possibility of negative backlash is very real. Abraham is not the only member of the club sophomore Matthew McKetty also feels this way. “Poetry allows one to express one’s view on the world in which they live,” said McKetty. Through their ideas in a stronger way than if they were to just speak their mind. “I have literally had people come up to me after a performance and be like ‘I had no idea what you were saying, but I really understood where you were coming from,’” said junior Desirae Lee. Spoken word poetry gives Lee a chance to communicate her ideas with words but also add to further show her meaning behind the poetry. “There’s something about spoken word that commands respect,” said Lee. “It is powerful enough to silence a room, but humble enough to reach out and give you a hug.” She feels this form of poetry allows the speaker to draw empathy from their audience to really help them understand the feelings that are trying to be communicated.This type of poetry is not only limited to performances at Stanton, the Expressionists also perform in Jacksonville and out of town to show their talent. Lee made it to the Top 25 round in the State Finals

of the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest on March 9 in Tallahassee. This competition required contestants to recite poems written by published poets. At the school competition in January, Lee was graded based on her accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation, and was chosen among four students to move on to the next level. The dramatic arts, like spoken word poetry, allow people to express their creativity on a stage. Drama provides opportunities to show creativity when students take a character with a personality completely different from their own and develop it to sell their performance. Senior Bo Phelan is attracted to drama for this reason. “In drama, you are given a new personality to adopt with loose guidelines and limitless possibilities,” said Phelan. “The adaptation that takes place when getting to know a character is what draws me.” With such relaxed guidelines, drama is a catalyst for creativity by causing actors to use their style to bring life to a character. Phelan has also it allows him to be able to speak in front of people with ease. “My public speaking skills have become much stronger because of acting,” said Phelan. Spoken performances such as drama and spoken word poetry help students develop their public speaking skills, which is important for the workplace and community. However students choose to express their creativity, they are using the best outlet for their personality. The importance of showing off uniqueness cannot always be expressed through regular words, thus everyone should have their own outlet for expressing themselves to show off their personality to the world.

EXPRESS YOURSELF self-ex·pres·sion (s lf k-spr sh n). n. Expression of one's own personality, feelings, or ideas, as through speech or art. “Self expression to me is any way you express yourself, I write poems and short stories.”

showing who you are through something you love doing.”

-Parker Lepore, 10th

-Signy Moreland, 11th

“People who do what they want to show who they are. I write my life in my spare time.”

“I paint.You can show your emotions by the way you paint and how you paint the piece.” -Allison Riddle, 12th

-Alex Datres, 10th

“I think self expression is very important and essential. But some people express themselves a little too much for my me.” -Maria Walts, 12th

photo by Sanaa Belkaich

Being introduced to formal art classes in middle school showed me my strengths and weaknesses. These classes expanded my awareness to the subject matter I could use in my work. I could take an emotion and illustrate it. Past situations, highlighted events, and people that meant a lot to me became my subjects. Discovering this, my potential was unlimited to the

My Creative Life By KEANDRA BRINSON, Contributing Artist

Ever since I can remember, drawing has been a part of my life. It’s amazing to see how far my talent has grown. At six, I would use a permanent marker and doodle pictures of anything on the Playskool table and chair set I had. I knew better than to draw on the walls. When we got a computer, my cousin and I would search pictures of cartoons and anime like Dragon Ball Z and Looney Tunes characters. As I developed as a young artist, my teachers would notice drawings on my desk and say, “You can really draw Keandra! All I can do is make a stick person.” My best friend also saw a lot of my drawings and always said I would become famous, work for Disney, and hook her up with a Disney Cruise line discount. She was also one of the people, along with my family and other friends,that supported my drawings and dreams of becoming an artist.

practice, and practice. Wanting to perfect every detail was my new goal. Seeing so much talent in other people made me want to be just as good as them. After doing this for most of my freshman year, I stopped drawing on my own. I lost inspiration and moved my free time to writing. What I’ve learned throughout high school is there is always someone that will be better at something than you. I now understand I should be the best I can be at every area in my life because that strive, want, and determination is what gets you to reach your goals in life. Many people have great spans of potential energy, but will they ever convert that to kinetic energy? Now, I’m back to drawing for fun. I illustrate anything that comes to my mind, from recreating a scene to making a caricature. I have created things for people that ask for a theme, including the Stantonian. I was surprised last year to learn my T-shirt design got picked for Stanton’s National Art Honor Society. In the near future, I don’t plan on majoring in art because there are so many things I want to pursue in my life, drawing just happens to be one of them. But one day, I will get the chance to put some fantastic art in the world.

features / march 2013 / 15

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Editorial Staff 2012-2013

Depression Affecting Teens

Alexandra Morgante, Editor-in-Chief Leah Quisenberry, Managing Editor Alexis Brown, Opinions Editor Kia’ Cooper, Features Editor Taylor Galloway, Sports Editor Laura Gerbec, Student Life Editor Kathryn McMullen, Photography Editor

Depression is a disorder that makes teens feel sad, worthless, and completely discouraged. Teenage depression is a serious issue that could lead to having low self-esteem, a critical self-image, or suicidal thoughts. We, the Devil’s Advocate staff, believe some Stanton students will struggle with depression, but can overcome it with a positive mindset and the right actions taken to help them move forward and become a stronger person. The staff believes the worst thing a depressed teenager can do is keep everything to themselves and not talk about their problems. Talking to a guidance counselor or one of their closest friends will help take some of the weight off their shoulders. They may never know if their friend may be feeling the exact same way. Teenagers have a tendency to push everything aside and say it will get better sooner or later without doing anything to solve the problem. In

The Devil’s Advocate School. It is produced monthly by members of the Journalism class. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted to the paper for content, grammar, length, and accuracy. The Devil’s Advocate is a public forum for student expression, which encourages free exchanges of opinions concerning controversial and non-controversial community and school related issues. The ideas and advertisements expressed within the newspaper are not necessarily those of the newspaper adviser, school administration, or the Duval The Devil’s Advocate accepts advertisements from all businesses in the Stanton community. The ad format can be given to the staff or the adviser, Mr. Larry Knight. Students, faculty, and parents may contact the staff and adviser at (904) 630-6760 ext. 143 or at knightl1@duvalschools.org.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, As a teacher, I feel that cheating has increased over the past several years and agree that availability of technology has aided in this increase. I am however, perturbed by the idea that students must choose between completing homework and studying. The purpose of homework assignments is to give students an opportunity to study that which will be assessed on the tests or quizzes. Why do students insist that “homework” and “study” are two different activities that they must choose between? If a student perpetually cheats on “homework” then of course they will then be forced to cheat further on the quiz or test that is assessing the student’s success at understanding the “homework.” I for one will be more than happy to not grade “homework” and just give tests and quizzes if that will help students, but without the homework, student grades will plummet not only because these assignments help compensate for low tests and quiz grades, but also due to a lack of practice that homework gives them. I am also bothered by the insistence that students are over-stressed as a reason for cheating. While I agree that academic and parent pressure can cause student desperation; the act of cheating as a coping mechanism has become acceptable, which is a pathetic sign of what American culture emphasizes. The idea of success with the lowest amount of effort is perhaps to blame for the stunting of American achievement in the global perspective. I feel that students and parents do not fully accept nor comprehend that grades are an assessment of a student’s mastery of skill and content. It is not an arbitrary number. It is a teacher’s assessment of that person’s mastery. If students continue to cheat, the Americans will continue to grant people diplomas and degrees that which they have not actually earned. The lack of knowledge and skill will appear in the workforce, which may be why companies would rather hire a non-American. Americans then come up with other things to blame rather than our inability to perform, our ignorance, or our stupidity.

good enough, they develop a horrible mindset and start blaming themselves for everything. They may feel that everything is getting worse as time progresses instead of getting better. It is always important to smile through the hardest times in life because people are there to help others move forward. Stanton may be one of the many factors that can lead to a students’ depression. Stanton has rigorous courses, and the stress level, along with sleep deprivation may overwhelm them. Another reason some kids may blame Stanton for their depression is because of their grades since they feel they work so hard and in the end, it doesn’t pay off. According to the organization Families for Depression Awareness, about 20 percent of sadness are the same thing, but they are actually two different feelings. Sadness is temporary and soon all their worries seem to go away by thinking everything through. According to the Mayo Clinic staff, symptoms of depression include crying for no reason, having a loss of interest in everything, feeling lonely and worthless, and thinking that there is no point in trying anymore. There is also a change in behavior such as grades dropping in school and not being able to explain their actions or feelings to anybody because they have no idea what is truly wrong. According to teenhelp.com, a site that helps teens with daily issues, 20 to 40 percent of people suffering from depression will have more than one episode within two years, and 70 percent will have more than one episode before adulthood. Furthermore, episodes of teen depression generally last about eight months. An episode of depression is losing interest in everything daily for at least two weeks. The one solution to depression is to talk everything out with somebody that they truly trust and to think of the positive things in life that keep them going, such as friends and family. Students should never give up and need to show that they are strong and can get through the on and it will get better in time.

Your voice.Your opinion. Here are your thoughts about Issue 2... "The cover was intriguing and made me want to open the paper and read it." -Travis Trahan, 10th "I was unhappy with the mistake with the pie chart; it was very unprofessional." -Anonymous

our ancestors brought with them has disappeared. We would prefer to be ignorant and stupid than to actually put a little effort into our own learning. We would prefer to blame others for all of our own failures and not accept responsibility for ourselves to lower our stress. Do you really need to be in IB, and soccer, and club volleyball, and SGA, and do multi, and...? Cheating is a coward’s way of coping as it says that you are unwilling to fail and accept your limitations or take responsibility for your own learning. I fear for our future and hope that my doctor is from another country.

"It was very interesting and I took it home to share with my family."

Send your Issue 3 comments to stantondevilsadvocate@gmail.com

Sincerely, An anonymous teacher

"The cover story was fantastic and portrayed Stanton as it truly is." -Anonymous

opinions / march 2013 / 17

STREET BEAT Question: If you woke up tomorrow

“If I woke up with no fear, I’d run across the world with no water, no clothes, and no shoes like Forest Gump!”

The Pressure to Being Perfect ideal type of person. In the eyes of a teenager, this means having perfect clothes, perfect skin, and acting a certain way. All these things are put into a teen’s mind, which lead them to dramatically and harshly critique themselves, and eventually lower their self esteem. Setting these standards of “perfection” are this century’s media, including magazines, reality shows, TV stars, musicians, and role models that teens have. Teens do not understand that their so called “role models” can adversely affect their self esteem. their lifestyle.

it causes unnecessary amounts of stress and consistent thoughts of improving. Thoughts of self-improvement cause major focus of imperfections someone may have, creating insecurities. feeling like nothing is perfect on them are examples of common insecurities. These insecurities cause people to decisions they make. The seriousness of these insecurities can cause people to develop things like eating disorders, wearing excessive of

The extreme need for “perfection” will cause some to go to extreme measures. These measures such as hurting their harmful. Stanton sophomore, Parker Lepore, feels like wearing Brooks Brothers everyday makes him feel perfect, and

“Thank God. Then, I would By SAMANTHA FOSS, Opinions Reporter

then go to work!” -Mrs. Pat Hull

Appreciation: The Key to Happiness people need to see what others don’t have to realize just how fortunate they really are. There are many individuals who can cause people to gain a different perspective on

is everything.Vujicic is a perfect example of why we have to take what is given to us and Appearance is often taken for granted, with people more critical than thankful of the way they look .

with the great Jack Story!”

skin along with an aged face. Despite daily stares while walking down the street and a myriad of cruel remarks, she has

Beginning in their thirties, however, the genetic disorder gradually caused them to return to the mental age of ten year olds, leaving their relatives to wonder how this could have happened to the people they loved. Their story further shows the importance of appreciating each day along with everything we are fortunate enough to have. fortunate we truly are. If we learn to appreciate even the small things in life, we will have found the key to happiness. By MANYA GOLDSTEIN, Opinions Reporter

18 / devil’s advocate / opinions

Point of View To What Extent has the Media Changed Our Society? For Worse

For Better

photos by Kathryn McMullen

People around the nation have been struck by the mighty blow of the media. Low self-esteem and pressured choices aren’t only accredited to ruthless peers. According to madamenoir.com “Studies show that 75 percent of eight and to 56 percent once girls reach ages 12 and 13”. As girls get older the percentile of their security of self-worth plummets it decreases so harshly that it makes one question the

better. The late night talk shows, the early morning infomercials, the articles, various newspapers, and journals are to blame for the increase in self-doubt. In western society there is always an echoed archetype of how one who is successful in society is supposed to look. The average person aspires to be these things and sets out to attain “the look” of success. This look can be found on magazine covers, circulating throughout classrooms and upon grocery store shelves depicting women of all kinds as being a size two. They are going so far as to even photo-shop pregnant women to be made look thinner. Men are victimized too as they’re depicted as being ruggedly chic with muscles on top of muscles and full heads of hair tousled to perfection. Celebrities are looked to as well, as the “common people” watch their habits and mimic them in hopes it will do them as much justice if not more as it has done their renowned idols. These things are often detrimental to the average American because they haven’t the means their idols do. These people often get absorbed in spending large sums of money they don’t have completing miscellaneous irresponsible acts such as going on very large shopping sprees or worse smoking, drinking, and partying themselves into oblivion. According to The Federal Reserve Revised Credit Card Debt Chart “Credit card debt reached a peak of $1.028 billion in July 2008, an average of $8,640 per household. Doling out absurd amounts of money only to imitate the lifestyle they think complements triumph. Such prototypes aren’t realistic by any stance and to think that every person could reach fame and glory by committing such acts, is foolish. The media’s portrayal of the “hottest” in images factors is maniacal. These images burden men and women everywhere to be like those on front covers by means of plastic surgery, medicines, or other unusual habits to look and act like anything other than themselves. In severe cases people begin to feel ostracized by the world and then cease to be happy keeping them from friends, families and the things they love. The media is an inaccurate portrayal of humans across the world. To them everything must be perfect, prim, and proper when in reality nothing is perfect, not even the most beautifully surreal. The media has taken quality and substituted it for quantity making the content of a person’s character worth virtually nothing; it has taught their young minds that the external makes all the difference. The media has taught young souls of exterior irrefutable beauty being a trait of necessity. It has taken something impractical and made it social taboo for the nation to adhere to. It has corrupted the people by altering their thinking and rendering their minds

“It emphasizes things that shouldn’t be emphasized and it paints a picture of what society should be, but not what it really is.” -Emily Walker, 12th

-Sean Doherty, 9th

population, but I believe that these people are merely afraid of what the future has to hold. We are at a critical age, an age where the power of knowledge has taken us to immeasurable heights, and I think the best thing we can do is take advantage of it. One of the most dramatic technological advancements in history has been the invention and unlimited access to the Internet. According to research in 2010 from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 77.3 percent of the population of American has access to the Internet. In 2000, only 44.1 percent of the population had access to the Internet. Not only has Internet usage increased over the last decade, but it has nearly doubled. The Internet allows people across the entire world to connect to one another, contribute to an unlimited collection of information, access this collection of data at However, there are many people who feel that this huge transition brings more especially through social media networks, has caused the youth of the 21st century to become addicted to their virtual reputation and lose the ability to create healthy relationships through physical communication. However, with the Internet, the youth is able to take education to a whole new level. They are now able to access a global spectrum of information and seek assistance from others who are . In terms of their social life, the Internet allows them to build relationships with an extremely vast range of people. Whether these relationwith varying creeds, opinions, races, and beliefs. Productivity, in all subjects from education to core purpose and meaning of our society: to increase productivity and keep moving forward? Another major transition is the availability of mobile technology. According to the Digital Utility Team, there are more than 7 billion people on the planet. 5.1 billion of these people own a cell phone, but only 4.2 billion people own a toothbrush. This technology has brought communication to a whole new level. The power of communication can theoretically make us invincible, but have we truly taken advantage of it? The opposing argument is virtually the same as for Internet. While there are detriments to the increasing dependence on technology or take it for granted, but there is no turning back now. As knowledge-thirsting human beings, we will only continue to seek progression. Why not take advantage of these opportunities? The power to change the world may be at your

By KYLE SANCHEZ, Opinions Reporter

“I think neither because the media revolves around the things we like; it’s a product of what is going on in our society.” -Rondai Jerido, 11th

“Better, people can know information about the local and global society.” -Brandon Battle, 10th

“Media has dramatically enhanced our society; we can know what’s going on around the world from the comforts of our home.” -Hamza Ajmal, 11th

“Better, it makes life much easier in the way we live.” -Rahull Patel, 9th

Speak

Students

By TEYONA BYERS, Contributing Writer

At this point in time, our society has advanced to the point where technological innovations have taken over almost every area of life. With the ability to access unlimited information within seconds, this new generation of individuals is even more connected and powerful than ever. Some people may argue that a society dependent on technology could diminish

opinions / march 2013 / 19

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