Happy Holi-DIYS Fun, easy crafts to try this holiday season
Win over Oviedo Girls soccer wins tense match 2-0
Vol. 18 Issue 3 | Dec. 16, 2022 | Hagerty High School | Oviedo, Florida
Over Thanksgiving break, 34 students from Thespian Troupe 6885, along with nine chaperones and theater teacher Jamaal Solomon, traveled to New York City. The troupe is a part of the International Thespian Society, the only theater honor society for middle and high school students. Solomon hoped students could learn from immersing themselves in New York and Broadway culture.
“I decided to take the trip so that students can learn and grow from experiencing life in New York City, seeing actual Broadway productions, and learning from Broadway professionals,” Solomon said.
Students even experienced once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including a cast party with the stars of “Wicked” and participating in two theater workshops with Broadway professionals.
“It was really cool being able to ask them personal questions. The most important thing I learned was that everyone had their own path to broadway and there is no “one way” to a career in musical theater,” senior Jazlyn Compton said.
The troupe was the first school group to tour the brand-new Museum of Broadway, which displayed a timeline of Broadway history, behindthe-scenes information into the makings of a show, and more. Junior Julia Register, Troupe 6885 historian, stated that some of her favorite moments were watching the live Broadway performances.
“My favorite part was definitely seeing Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera,” Register said.
The troupe also went sightseeing around New York City, visiting a Christmas market, the Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall, One World Observatory and other staple New York attractions. Students were immersed in the culture of the city by walking around Times Square and eating traditional New York pizza.
The trip itinerary was filled with festive excursions, including viewing the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and having Thanksgiving dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Even though they missed Thanksgiving with their families, troupe members celebrated the holiday together.
“It was truly life-changing and for some a oncein-a-lifetime experience. It was absolutely lovely,” Solomon said.
Sophia Canabal | Lifestyles Editor
As junior Carter Wegman, playing John Brown, and senior Lily Joseph, playing Abigail, kiss on stage to close their performance of Abigail 1702, the audience and then bursts into applause.
“The kiss was the most memorable scene, the audience went crazy,” Wegman said. “They cheered louder for us than any other troupe.”
On Dec. 3, the theater department traveled to Lyman High School for their annual District 3, receiving a Superior on their performance of “Abigail 1702,” a sequel to “The Crucible.”
According to theater teacher Jamaal Solomon, the performance has been months in the making as the theater department first started casting the act last April.
One of the department’s most difficult challenges was finding time to work on the act while also rehearsing for Pygmalion, their most recent production. The cast also lost three weeks of rehearsal time to Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
“We lost so much time, but the performance was still really good. As actors, we fed off of the audience’s reactions, and the audience loved it,” assistant director Zoey Zachry said.
Most of the cast received their scripts at the end of the previous school year, and the department started blocking and choreographing the act in August.
“The performance took lots and lots of fine tuning,” Solomon said. “We first worked on memorization and character development over the summer, but then we had two hurricanes, so time became a big issue.”
The department scrambled to prepare for individual performances, taking place in a showcase on Dec. 10. Zachry is preparing a student-directed scene, where she chose a scene from a play and created a scene design, choreography and casting. Though she is concerned that her actors have not completely memorized their lines, she still expects good feedback from the judges.
“I was nervous about what the judges have to say, because they give feedback right after the performance ends. But I chose two people that really work well together on stage, so I know it won’t go too badly,” Zachry said.
Hagerty’s Chess Club suffered a tough loss against Crooms at their latest tournament, which took place on Dec. 2. The Hagerty team consisted of eight members, with sophomore Julian Lorenzo taking second place and freshman Gavin Mutchler taking third.
“I had hoped that we would win, but you got to stay positive. You can’t go into a match saying, ‘Hey, guys, we’re gonna lose,’” club president Antonio Pizza said. “You got to go in saying, ‘Guys, we may lose, we may win, but we’re gonna give our all.’”
Held in the media center, the tournament was organized as a bracket system with double elimination, meaning players must
lose twice to be eliminated. The club is less than a year old, and the experience level between them all is split with only half the members knowing a lot about strategy and tactics.
“It’s a one-on-one conversation, unlike most sports,” Pizza said. “You’re representing your team when you go out there and you have to put it all in. It’s just you, [so] you can’t really blame it on another member.”
Practices, which take place every Monday in room 4-113, consist of oneon-one matches which allow more experienced players to teach people newer to the game how to approach certain situations. There have been talks to expand the club to other board games besides chess to gain more members.
Circling the audience, the band played out their final tune of “Come Together” by the Beatles. After filling the auditorium with a night of holiday classics and movie scores, the annual Rhapsody concert on Friday, Dec. 2 showcased the band’s different sections and brought a challenge to their student leadership.
“The goal is to allow each section to be featured individually to highlight the individual characteristics of their instrument,” director Brian Kuperman said.
Through Hurricane Nicole and Thanksgiving break, the sections lost necessary practice time, leading their leadership to find some creative practice spaces.
“I met up with my best players at my house a couple of times because their part was so much harder than everyone else’s,” tuba section leader Eshan Kabir said. “Then, we did a full rehearsal at Riverside Park, which was very informal, but helped everyone understand the music and the road map of the piece a lot more.”
Student focus laid in arranging their section’s music, with songs like “Running Up That Hill” and the theme from “Howl’s Moving Castle” in the mix. While the pieces had to be approved by both directors before
the concert, leaders were still able to put their own twists on their pieces to better showcase their instrument.
“I used my knowledge of each specific person in my section to create a piece built for them and them only,” Kabir said. “I tried to make it so that each person would bring out the best sound they could.”
After weeks of rehearsal and coordination among the different sections, the concert was able to highlight their individual talents and bring holiday cheer to the audience. With holiday classics like “The Christmas Song,” featuring a student on vocals, the concert showed the diversity of the band’s scores and ability.
“The concert went well for all of the ensembles,” Kuperman said. “No performance is perfect, but for all groups, I felt it was the best they had performed each piece.”
For their first event of the semester, the ASL Honor Society hosted their Winterfest on Dec. 3. For the past two years, the honor society has partnered with Silent Hope Church to host a first semester event. Hosting services in both ASL and English, Silent Hope is the first deaf-led church in the East Valle, trying to bridge the gap between the Deaf and Hearing. Since the honor society hosted a fall festival last year, they decided to host a Winterfest this year.
“We were looking to find a place
to serve the deaf community in a productive way so we reached out to [Silent Hope] and asked if we could partner with them. They hosted their deaf social and we came and turned it into a Winterfest because they had the deaf community so we can serve and have a bigger turnout,” ASL teacher Barbara Chaves said.
Students from both the honor society and ASL Club were encouraged to sign up. Volunteers could work at a different activity station or walk around with deaf children and families to complete the numerous activities. Activities
included reindeer and Santa plate decorating, face painting, bracelet and ornament making, bowling and a hot cocoa station.
The second event of the semester quickly followed on Dec. 7, when the ASL Honor Society volunteered at the Holiday Expo hosted at Oviedo High School. An array of different holiday displays were set up in collaboration with different high schools.
“It made me really happy to see people signing, especially when they are learning new signs. Everyone seemed so happy to learn about ASL,” junior Sophia Garbelmen said.
James Lopez | Staff Reporter
Abigail Neal | Staff Reporter
Nadia
The weather outside may have been frightful, but the styles were so delightful. The annual Winter Week ran from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9, and the dress-up days were announced on Nov. 28, leaving students with a week to prepare themselves and their outfits for the festivities. Feeding off of the excitement of the announcement of the days, activities such as Flick on the 50 and the dodgeball tournament were made public.
The themed days went as follows: Monday was “Merry Monday Morning,” where students could show up in their favorite holiday pajamas, Tuesday was “Ugly Sweater” day, where all were encouraged to wear ugly sweaters, Wednesday was “Santa’s Workshop Wednesday,” where students wore their favorite holiday accessories, Thursday was “Kohn’s Candy Canes,” where underclassmen wore white and upperclassmen wore red, and Friday was “Hawaiian Holiday,” where students wore their tropical holiday outfits.
Thecountdown ends.
Everyone runs towards each other, falling forward and ripping peoples’ dodgeballs right out of their hands. After immediately sprinting back, sometimes empty-handed, they get pelted with dodgeballs.
The yearly dodgeball competition, coined “The Snowball Fight,” was held in the old gym on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., with eight competing teams of six students each.
The winning team, and last year’s runner-up, was Bishop Sycamore, with the United Nations team scoring second place and Team Men scoring third. Bishop Sycamore was made up of juniors Blake Henson, Jacob Donovan, Tanner Grebey,
Alex Watson, Caden Chapman and senior Porter Williams, who were led by junior Aden Kennedy.
“It feels great for me and the guys to go out there and win, especially after getting second place last year,” Kennedy said.
The teams had very different ways of preparing. The Red Team prepared by having their family members chuck miscellaneous items at them and running 40-yard dashes.
The Dodgefathers’ team leader, junior Grant Smith, stated he watched the movie “Dodge ball,” hoping to learn strategies from it. The Onesies team had the most extensive preparation routine, organizing time outside of school for friendly dance battles each day, a week in advance.
“Our preparation [dance
battles] help to boost morale and increase team coordination and synchronization,” Onesies team leader, junior Nathan Dye, said.
Some teams struggled to find members to recruit, such as the Red Team and team Iron Deficiency, which had around a 25% success rate in recruiting players.
“I gave these guys all pep talks and prayed they all knew how to throw a ball, because if they don’t, it’s not going to be good,” Iron Deficiency team leader freshman Thomas Dean said.
Though Bishop Sycamore won the event, the Snowball Fight has always been more of a way to spend time with friends than a strict competition and is still a ‘win’ for every team.
Themed days for the week went under the careful consideration of the Student Government Association and its advisors. According to sophomore Amya Waters, the students were assigned to different committees, each working on and planning a specific event, such as a toy drive and dress up days. The dress-up day committee collaborated creatively with each other to generate enjoyable days.
“They all brainstorm together and work together in order to come up with the ideas [and] we also use ideas from years past,” class of 2025 sponsor Sarah Bearss said.
While creating these days, they kept in mind how accessible some clothing or holiday items were to students. With the creativity of the dress up days, those creating them looked forward to the exceptional from students dressing in Santa outfits to ugly sweaters.
“Pajama day is probably my actual favorite because teachers aren’t allowed to wear pajamas to school normally, so that’s kind of a treat for me,” Bearss said.
Reception of Winter Week was good on the student end, as well. Feeling inspired by the festivities of the week, senior Emma Barona (not pictured) showed up in her festive outfit on Wednesday, wanting to look like a “modern day Santa.”
Aside from having the opportunity to dress up for the days, students enjoy Winter Week for different reasons.
“It’s like a break out of what school typically is and it’s festive and brings the holidays [before] winter break,” senior Kathlynn Nguyen said.
MERRY AND BRIGHT 1. Freshman Sydney Muchow watch “The Grinch” at the Flick on the 50 on Dec. 8. Photo | Sarah Hinnant 2. Junior Naia Johnson dresses as Stitch from “Lilo and Stitch” on Dec. 9 for “Hawaii Holiday.” Photo | Amanda Barna 3. Juniors Alana Jones and Ava Kaplan match their holiday pajamas for “Merry Monday Morning” on Dec. 5. Photo | Mia Campese 4. Sophomores Josephine Lim and Macy Drewry wear their holiday accessories for “Santa’s Wokshop Wednesday” on Dec. 7. Photo | Lacee Ginga 5. Junior Nathan Dye prepares to throw a ball at the Snowball Fight on Dec. 7. Photo | Shannon Hahn
Aclass designated to create games with block coding, geometric vertices and integer variables may seem stressful, but in reality, upper-level Modeling and Simulation students sit in a backroom with music running while they work. Allowed to go at their own pace, students experiment with modeling and programming engines while creating their video game or simulation.
Modeling and Simulation is a fouryear program divided into four levels: Foundation, Design, Application and Prototype and Innovation. Students use various platforms to complete projects ranging from animating characters, modeling their own buildings, and video game creation on one of several engines.
The two most commonly used engines are Maya and Unreal. Maya is specific for the artistic creation of a video game, while Unreal is mainly used for programming. Combining both Maya and Unreal, projects become playable simulations and games that preserve details of the design.
“You get to choose your path whether you want to be a modeler, graphic designer, or programmer. I used to work with Maya the most since I focused more on 3D modeling and designing, but as the year continued, my focus shifted to programming and I began to use Unreal instead,” senior Lila Ormsby said.
Ormsby has previously created an endlessly run game named Pandamonium. She has also modeled characters and sceneries from references.
Foundation, the first-year course, is an introduction to Maya. Students start out with the basics, learning the tools available in the engine, basic modeling, design and programming. Students will also start working in Photoshop and learning how to design video game characters and structures.
The second year, Design, is heavily focused on the creative aspects of video games.
“I’ve always wanted to try design, I thought it was really interesting and have especially liked this year because we focus a lot on creativity,” sophomore Chris Sanchez said. “As of now, we are working on designing a character that we will eventually sculpt with clay.”
The third year and fourth year, Application and Prototype and Innovation, are the years students typically find their own pacing and have long-term group projects. Students get in depth practice using Maya, Unreal and Photoshop. Simultaneously, they develop their programming, modeling and design skills while building a portfolio.
For senior Emma Lundquist’s group of fourth-year students, their goal is to create a weather simulator that will help predict weather accurately.
To start their project, senior Tyler Hancock had to create a folder filled
with their new contents including their interface widgets (2D visuals that are activated by sensors). All of this was organized with a system inside Unreal called Blueprint.
“The process is a bit tedious. We have to make sure the coding allows us to see each function like a locator to see the position of the player and prevent sensors from going off from where it is not supposed to,” Hancock said. “There’s a lot of trial and error involved.”
Lundquist’s group consists of five seniors including herself, 3D Modelers Hancock and Megan Dathe, and programmers Westin Mathies and Noah Urbina. To work more efficiently, the group divides tasks among themselves and collaborates with one another for the final vision. However, the project did not come without difficulties. They are having a few problems with the vertices of the watchtower. Vertices tend to take up memory, so the less there are, the smoother the program will run.
on adding widgets, while Urbina sets up the sensors.
“We all play a different role in creating this simulation. Tyler wrote the programming for the widget functions and Megan worked on the small details that ensure a smooth game,” Mathies said. “We basically came together to create something that otherwise could take us 10 times longer to accomplish.”
- senior Westin
The program helps advance careers such as architecture, engineering and economics. Currently, the program is working with higher education partners, including University of Central Florida and Seminole State College.
“It’s relatively hard to minimize the amount of vertices, you really have to get creative because you don’t really want your game to be slowed down,” Dathe said.
Meanwhile, Hancock has been working on object textures,and Lundquist has sculpted characters and structures. Mathies has focused
“There was a need found for Modeling and Simulation professionals in the area of Central Florida,” Martinez said. “Hagerty is within 15 minutes from the area so we were chosen to pilot the program to help meet this need. Providing real world skills and an industry certification makes this an enhanced program.”
The program started in 2011 with 30 students, but now has grown to more than 260 students and two teachers, and there is plenty of room for these students, since the technology field for Mod and Sim increased 63%, with over 55,000 job openings throughout Florida.
1. Background design of a Mushroom swamp. by Emma Lundquist
2. Modeling of planes from WW2. Designed by Dylan Khreiche
3. Woodland restaurant designed by Lila Ormsby. 1
We basically came together to create something that otherwise could take us 10 times longer to accomplish.
Mathies
“Sample Mod & Sim Projects James Lopez | Staff Reporter
Every four years, when the World Cup returns, fans expect the best. The list of countries that can actually host the event is pretty short. Though Qatar may not have been the perfect choice, it’s important to have major events in countries that we may not relate to to truly be a world event; the benefits outweigh the issues.
Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the Arab world, which impacted how they approached this year’s World Cup. They spent $300 billion on the stadiums to even host the World Cup, which has created record attendance numbers. For the event, Qatar made seven stadiums varying from a capacity of 44,000 to 88,000. They have already broken the record for the largest attendance for a single game in 28 years with Mexico versus Argentina, which had 88,966 spectators.
Traditionally, host countries inflate the attendance numbers, but whether the attendance numbers of the stadiums are exaggerated or not, they are still bringing an immense amount of profit to FIFA. This year has brought them $7.5 billion, which is a jump up by more than a billion from 2018 in Russia. This affects players in a good way, with teams now getting a bigger prize pool. While money is not the only measure of World Cup success, it is still a major factor.
More important, however, is the World Cup’s role in bringing countries together, despite any cultural or political divisions that may be present. When Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in their opening game, it not only sparked shock from the world, but it also brought the Arab nations together, celebrating a major win against one of the best teams in the world.
Qatar leading up to the World Cup were
accused of using forced labor to build the stadiums. While these issues in no way are excused, having the tournament there brings light to these issues. If Qatar would never have hosted, then the awareness people have now would be nonexistent.
This is a similar situation to the 2022 Olympics which were hosted in China, when China’s treatment of the Uyghur people cast a shadow over the event. While the international attention brought to the genocide may not have solved the issue, it raised global awarness of it, which needed to happen.
Qatar was never going to be the perfect country for the World Cup, as each country has their own struggles, and some may be more extreme than others. The spirit of the World Cup, however, does not lie within the host country but in the tournament itself. No matter where the Cup is hosted, the positive impact will almost always outweigh the negatives.
The World Cup: FIFA’s most prestigious soccer competition, where only the 32 best international teams get to compete. Millions of people tune in to cheer for their national team; some even experience the emotional roller coaster in person. The diverse tournament has been celebrated for years, but there are many underlying issues in this year’s World Cup that need to be addressed.
Qatar was named the host nation of the 2022 World Cup 12 years ago. Since then, many divulgences about the Qatar’s selection and what the nation has done to meet World Cup needs have come to the forefront.
The Kafala system is the main reason for Qatar’s controversy, known to critics as a form of modern slavery. Companies recruit workers in poverty with promises of good pay, but ask for a recruitment fee of $1,000 to $4,000.
Once in Qatar, they are forced to sign papers, stating they will not be allowed to change jobs and confiscate their passport. They are crammed into small, unhygienic spaces and made to work through temperatures of up to 104 degrees. Without stable pay or a legal way to return home, workers have no other option than to stay. During the constructions of the World Cup venues, an estimated 6,000 workers died from the harsh work conditions.
Human rights violations are far from the only problems. Qatar’s bid has been filled with allegations of bribery that may have taken place to help Qatar. Investigation discovered a payment of $2 million in efforts to help Qatar’s election.
Typically, FIFA’s executives evaluate the competence of a host nation in a scale from zero through five. FIFA asks countries to meet the following guidelines: 12 stadiums that meet a capacity of 40,000 to 80,000
people; transportation that meet a minimum capacity of 1,450 passengers per hour; and 72 ‘base camp’ hotels for teams and referees. The official Qatar evaluation showed that three stadiums had to undergo an immense renovation while the other nine had to be built from scratch.
These constructions required even more use of the Kafala system, and once the truth of the labor conditions came out, FIFA did not even condemn the Qatari government for their human rights violations toward the Qatar simply should have never been elected to be the host nation for this year’s World Cup. Although the achievement of becoming the first Arab country to host the event allows for growth in representation, perhaps it should have waited a bit longer. Until the infrastructure could be constructed by a humanely treated work-force and with a list of met requirements.
Hagerty High School 3225 Lockwood Blvd. Oviedo, FL 32765 hagertyjourn@gmail.com
The BluePrint is a studentproduced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.
Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as a whole, the views of Seminole County Public Schools or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff.
Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of personal attacks or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. STAFF
It’s no secret: the U.S. is divided. Party polarization is not a novel idea, and never has been. Younger Americans are becoming more and more disillusioned with their government, our political climate is turning increasingly antagonistic, families are split over political lines. While the polarization of media is easy to find, it discounts the toll on human journalists. As student journalists, we especially feel this effect on the career we hope to pursue — as America grows more divided, journalists are paying the price.
Some argue that the media itself is driving this political polarization, with the desire for viewership and ratings outweighing the moral obligation to tell the truth. News outlets like CNN and Fox News are known for catering to the far left or right, and while that may be the case, one or two biased networks does not mean all networks are. Unfortunately, this is the outlook many people apply to all media. Even before we have uttered a word, people have made their own assumptions about us, about the publication we work for. Are you a Democrat? Republican? Left? Right? Instead of our quality of reporting and writing, our answers to these questions are the deciding factors in whether our articles are read or not. As journalists, it is increasingly becoming more difficult to portray ourselves as who we aspire to be: a source of truth, a symbol of fact, a beacon of accuracy.
But the rise of distrust of the media predicts a much more dangerous trend: the downfall of democracy. Democracy is built on the ideal of cooperation.
Cooperation is built on the ideal of trust. But how can we as Americans even begin to trust one another if we do not believe in the same truths?
For example, in the coverage of the 2020 election, as Florida votes were counted and appeared to sway in Trump’s favor, Tucker Carlson on Fox News called the state “the future of the country,” while criticizing earlier predictions that Biden had done well in the state.
Meanwhile, the more liberal MSNBC minimized Florida’s importance to Biden’s chance of winning. Host Nicolle Wallace stressed that Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were more important to Biden for him to gain the 270 electoral votes. The problem with this stark difference in coverage is its impact on their viewers; viewers are receiving two alternate versions of one event, each believing that their version is fact. If the two attempt to have a conversation, they will find it very difficult to do so because they cannot even agree on what is fact and what is fiction.
Whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent, the next time you read a news article, remember that we are human. We have biases, we have party leanings, we have opinions. But we are also journalists. We have a duty and an obligation to report the news, the news we interviewed and fact-checked and spent countless nights writing. Despite our personal beliefs, we strive to uphold that duty, and we can only ask that you give us a chance.
Glenn | Editor-in-Chief
As COIN singer Chase Lawrence sang “Crash
My Car,” the last song in the concert setlist, he locked eyes with senior Bela Guise. A daydream became reality—he sang the final words and tossed her a flower, leaving her awestruck.
For music lovers, concerts are the ultimate fan experience, but after nearly two years of cancellations, refunds and rescheduling, many high school students are seeing concerts for the first time ever. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino referred to 2022 as a “roaring era” for concerts, as fans are excited to see their favorite artists live again—in 2021, Live Nation’s second-quarter revenue was 677% higher than the previous year, and the average price of a concert ticket has increased by 10%.
A number of modern pop culture icons have made appearances in Orlando this year, including Sabrina Carpenter, Conan Gray, Lil Nas X and Pitbull, and Hagerty students are filling the seats.
At most concerts, artists enhance their setlist with lights, big screens, backup dancers and more. Senior Bradley Uhler describes this environment as “electric”—at the Lil Nas X concert, there was butterfly-shaped confetti, strobe lights and a dance crew, making it an unforgettable experience.
“The live production with all the lights and effects come together to make an amazing show,” Uhler said. “Everyone is in the same place to connect over the artist and just have a good time.”
But it is not really the lights, setup and special effects that make a concert special—it is just being there. When freshman Shayla France arrived at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert on Sept. 16, there was a
two-hour rain delay. This might seem upsetting, but for France, it only made the event better.
“The rain delay was absolutely worth it,” France said. “After Thundercat and The Strokes finished, the Chili Peppers opened with my favorite song by them, which was sick. I had such a great time.”
Sometimes, the experiences can be even wilder. While on a random person’s shoulders in the pit of a Denzel Curry concert, junior Noah Albano was dropped backward without warning and began to crowd surf.
“It was a crazy feeling and I locked eyes with the opening act,” Albano said. “I wish I could’ve done it while Denzel was performing.”
Although many fun memories can be made at concerts, some things can go wrong. At the Conan Gray concert, the fans were rude and constantly pushing each other around, according to Guise. This made her feel unsafe and hindered her ability to fully enjoy the concert.
“It was so surprising because Conan is a really nice person, but his fanbase just isn’t,” Guise said. “If I went to a Conan concert again, I would try to avoid people and not socialize with any of them because they’re mean.”
Still, all concert-goers have a common goal: to dance, sing and bond over the music and environment. For junior Savannah Towne, this is the best part of any concert.
“It makes the concert experience so much better when you can tell that everyone is also enjoying it,” Towne said.
For avid music fans like France, going to concerts is not an impulsive, last-minute decision; it is one made months in advance. France bought her concert tickets
“I try to buy tickets earlier so I don’t end up with bad seats,” France said. “I am a huge fan. It was completely worth it.”
Other fans, such as Uhler, buy concert tickets on a whim. On the morning of the Lil Nas X concert, he checked Ticketmaster to see if there were any nosebleed tickets left, but what he found was shocking: pit tickets for $37, a drastic contrast to the original price of $400 or more. Uhler ended up in the third row.
“Going to see Lil Nas X was so out of the norm for me,” Uhler said. “I got super lucky.”
But preparing to go to concerts goes past buying tickets. Harry Styles’ “Love on Tour” made dressing fancy for concerts a big trend; fans would take photoshoots and make TikToks beforehand to flaunt their outfits. Although Guise could not attend “Love on Tour,” she has adopted the idea of turning each concert into her own fashion show, buying her outfits online months before an event. For the Conan Gray concert, she wore a black crop top, black sunglasses, bubble braids, and cargo pants, looking to match the vibe of the music and everyone in attendance.
“I like planning out my outfits because concerts are one of my favorite things ever,” Guise said. “When I dress up, it makes them even more fun.”
For many, planning what to wear is not as important as planning who to go with. Uhler likes to attend concerts with his family, as they all share a similar music taste and it gives them a chance to have fun together. On the other hand, Towne goes with her friends, whether they are big fans of the performing artist or not. At The Killers’ concert, Towne and junior Hannah Martin arrived late and had to run around the
for the Red Hot Chili Peppers show at Camping World Stadium as soon as they dropped to assure that she got seats close to the stage.Amway Center to find their entry point. Their spot was not as good as they hoped, but it did not matter.
“It was just so much fun to be there, going with [Hannah] made it better,” Towne said.
To assure that they can dance and sing at every concert they go to, Guise, Uhler, Towne and France all listen to the artists’ music on repeat leading up to the event. France likes to focus on the artists’ most popular music, as that is what they are most likely to play. Towne takes it a step further: she looks at the concert setlist.
“I’ll literally only listen to the setlist for a couple of days leading up to the concert,” Towne said. “I know pretty much every lyric because of that.”
While any concert is a big experience, they all might take a backseat to the biggest tour announcement of 2022, if not ever. Just weeks after the drop of her tenth studio album “Midnights,” Taylor Swift announced that she would be going on “The Eras Tour.” Swift will include songs from all ten of her albums in her setlist, with a special emphasis on her newest album. Fans were thrilled and immediately turned to Ticketmaster to sign up for a presale code. Even before the dates were announced, Guise saved up money.
“I really like Taylor Swift. I’ve liked her since I was 2 years old,” Guise said.
Prior to the sale date, Swift’s management team, Taylor Nation, sent out “boosts” to fans who had purchased her album or other merchandise to assure that real fans would secure presale codes— not scalpers. Fans who had purchased tickets to the canceled “Lover Fest” were also given a boost. This was meant to increase the probability that fans received a presale code.
Even with these boosts, buying tickets was harder than a Taylor Swift ex-lover trying to stay out of her song lyrics. After being selected for a presale code, fans were told to log into their Ticketmaster account at 10 a.m. on Nov. 15 and wait in the ticket purchasing queue. Before 10 a.m. even came, the site crashed, causing many fans to fall behind. When Uhler and his mom were finally able to get into the queue, his heart dropped at the words on the screen: “2000+ people ahead of you.” He reached the end of the queue multiple times, only to be kicked out.
“It was really annoying that I followed all the steps to be in the queue and it meant absolutely nothing because I was still stuck waiting for hours,” Uhler said.
Guise also had problems buying tickets beyond
the queue. While trying to complete her purchase, her credit card transaction was flagged as fraud, and she had to find a different card to use.
“It was asking me to put in my social security number and all this other weird information that I didn’t know,” Guise said. “I started crying. I thought I was going to lose the tickets.”
Both Uhler and Guise were able to get tickets, but they came at a high price. For three floor seats, Guise paid $1000, which is roughly the same price that Uhler’s family paid for six seats in the lower bowl, but when it comes to fans getting that once-in-a-lifetime concert experience, it does not matter.
“It will absolutely be worth it,” Guise said. “I’m so lucky that I got them.”
Released Nov. 17, “Pre5l” is the newest album from rapper Key Glock. The album features six songs that add up to 13 min of incredible music. Each song showcases the rapper’s abilities and also provides a range of song types for people listening to the album. While the beginning of the “Pre5l” starts with the slower beat song “Jigsaw,” it picks up as each song progresses until it reaches the albums best and last song: “Thumbing.” Even though rap is not for everyone, listeners are sure to find enjoyment in the album’s instrumental and strong bass.
- Angelica Mendez
Released Nov. 18, “Reborn Rich” is an ongoing South Korean drama series starring Yoon Hyun-Woo (Song Joong-Ki), who was murdered by Soonyang Corporation for false charges of embezzlement, but is reborn into the body of Jin Do-Jun. With nine out of 16 episodes released so far, the story has an interesting premise that hooks viewers in for the first few episodes, but drags on as Do-Jun gets muddled in Soonyang’s economic affairs. Viewers grow tired of watching fights, only interrupted by family infighting or the occasional love interest.
- Janell Lim
Released Nov. 30, Itzy’s mini album, “Cheshire,” is a huge step forward for the group, including their first-ever all-English single, “Boys Like You.” Tracks employed a rugged electronic beat and steady bass instrumentals. The slow-paced, lowerpitched songs were a pleasant surprise and deviation from Itzy’s usual highpitched choruses. At times, the members’ voices were a bit strained, but for a mainly dance-focused group, Itzy performed well. Their main vocalist, Lia, has a honey-like voice that is soothing to the soul, and brandish vocal power.
- Josephine Lim
Avril Lavigne’s album “Love Sux Deluxe” released five songs, two being acoustic, on Nov. 25. If she released this album back in 2002 during her breakthrough, it would probably have topped the charts. The songs are very repetitive and remain unchanged, making it difficult for songs to stand out. Despite this, her songs are still enjoyable and easy to listen to. She demonstrated her rage and comfortability with punk rock. The decent music composure and repetitive nature build a solid album that is worth listening to, yet not very remarkable.
- Grace Hilton
Released Nov. 23, “Wednesday” is a continuation of the hit comedy movie “The Addams Family,” focusing on Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) and her experiences going through life. From the outfits Wednesday wears to the forest environments, incredible architecture and well thought out shots, the show is definitely one made with unbelievable effort and every episode is just as well done. If you are a fan of eerie comedy and dark settings, “Wednesday” should be on your watch list. It gives the audience so much more than boring dialogue.
- Anya Skyes
“Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special,” released Nov. 25 on Disney+, gives fans a nice warm story to feel during the Christmas season. With a show stopping cast of Chris Pratt, Dave Batista, and a special appearance by Kevin Bacon, it keeps the audience entertained, with funny one liners here and there. The beginning was a little empty, but viewers will appreciate it more as the special goes on. Some moments were a little cringe, but overall. If you are relaxing at home over before the holidays grab a cup of hot chocolate and watch this show.
- Gavin Nelson
With the much anticipated conclusion to the Gilded duology, titled “Cursed,” was released Nov. 8. Marissa Meyer expertly spins a dark, fascinating tale filled with magic, romance, and suspense, making an excellent read. “Cursed” picks up where the previous novel left off, with high stakes and a horrific wedding on the horizon. The writing in “Cursed” may be better than the first one, with beautiful yet haunting descriptions of the characters’ lives and struggles. Although, the book is about 500 pages, and while that is not the longest ever, the pacing can be brutal at times.
- Ava Strzalko
Released Nov. 23, “Glass Onion: a Knives Out Mystery” has quickly gained traction from viewers. This movie follows detective Blanc (Daniel Craig) who was invited to an exclusive island with seven other people. The character development, discoveries made about them and the unexpected twist, was captivating and thrilling to watch. Even the cinematography was an authentic experience leaving no room for dull points. Although the movie can be confusing at times because it leaves out important details, this may be done purposely.
- Ava Vettorel
NAILED
This was pretty easy, a good outcome, and a fun cookie idea even for people who are not artistic. It
was cost effective too; we only spent about $10 on materials. It did not take long to decorate either.
As high school students without much money, our budgets for Christmas gifts and crafts are small. We looked at some of the trends for DIY Christmas crafts to see how do-able they were. They are all supposed to be quick and easy, but not all turned out that way. We tried out the trends so you don’t have to, but you can judge if we nailed it or failed it.
Definitely not worth the time and a total disaster. It took over an hour, was super messy, and it tastes like eating frosting straight from the can. Our frosting was melty so it did not stand up and just spilled off
the sides of our cupcake after. It was very hard to decorate, especially as two people who cannot bake or decorate. We’ll leave it to the Pinterest moms. We already had the cake mix, so materials were about $10, which was pretty cost effective.
Not as easy as we thought it would be. It’s not worth it, if you are wanting to “spice up” your ornament, just go buy a new one, it
The thumb tacks did not hold the lights well so every time an ornament was added, it fell off. Something more sturdy to hold the lights up would have made this project more of a success. The lights looked like when Joyce
costs about the same. We thought a normal sized ornament would work, but a smaller one was much easier to fit in the balloon.
Definitely not worth the time and a total disaster. It took over an hour, was super messy, and it tastes like eating frosting straight from the can. The frosting was melty so it did not
stand up and just spilled off the sides of our cupcake after. It was very hard to decorate, especially as two people who cannot bake or decorate. We’ll leave it to the Pinterest moms. We already had the cake mix, so materials were about $10, which was pretty cost effective.
We did not have the correct box so it did not look the same but it was still cute. If we had the right box, we could have added the white pom poms and it would have made for a better gift
to give someone. Definitely try this out if you want a cute gift card spice up but make sure you have the right box.
hung Christmas lights in her house in “Stranger Things.”
It would have looked better if we used white lights.
This was definitely one of the easiest crafts. It took 10 minutes to finish making the snowman, then an additional 20 in a 266 degree oven. The hardest part of this was trying to make sure the clay did not stick to you or the table, but besides that, there was
no difficulty. We already had all materials, making it was priceless. With a low cost and how easy it is, this is a fun holiday craft that anyone can do, not just the Pinterest moms.
WANT TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS AND INSTRUCTIONS?
Check out the story online for the full walkthrough on each DIY craft.
This is definitely a fun little snack to make if you are looking for a Christmas party holiday treat. These spinach breadsticks were fairly easy to make, however, shaping them into the actual tree was
a bit of a challenge. We recommend cutting the strands of dough covering the top thicker, that way when you twist them it is a lot easier.
When I was in sixth grade, my mom would cook my lunch: rice, beef rendang and peanut sauce. I sat down with my friends, my plate of basmati rice surrounded by burgers, chicken nuggets and pizza. The next day, it would be fried rice, egg and pisang goreng, or fried banana fritters. Every day, my friends would ask me what “odd thing” I brought for lunch, and it became a daily topic of conversation. Those moments drilled one lesson into my head: you are different. You are not American.
As I near the voting age of 18, this thought continually resurfaces. Despite the endless encouragement and advertisements persuading me to vote, I never cared for it, because what was the point in participating in American democracy if I wasn’t American?
Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not unique to me. Although Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial minority in the United States, voter turnout is among the lowest — 47 percent — compared to 66 percent for Black voters and 64 percent for white voters.
A major factor for the lack of participation among Asian voters is the feeling of not belonging in American politics, not only because they struggle to reconcile their “Asian” and “American” identities, but also because politicians often overlook Asian Americans as a voting bloc; in 2020, a study found that Asian Americans were contacted by political campaigns
10 percent less than the national average.
Junior AiLinh Vu, a Vietnamese American, thinks that not many Asian Americans choose to vote because of their lack of political knowledge.
“A lot of it has to do with not being politically informed enough to feel the need to make a vote,” Vu said. “A lot of the Asian community that is old enough to vote are disadvantaged by this, and I feel like the responsibility falls onto their firstgeneration American born children, like me, to help translate ballots and info, and explain what we know about current events to them.”
As of 2018, Asian immigrants have outpaced Hispanic immigrants coming into the U.S., with Chinese immigrants at 149,000, Indians at 129,000, and Mexicans at 120,000.
As a result, the large majority of Asian Americans face a daunting language barrier. For these individuals, the language barrier presents an immediate challenge to navigating the election process —
and even understanding the ballots themselves. Although Section 203(c) of the Voting Rights Act mandates that translated materials be available at the polls, this policy is rarely implemented in practice. For Vu, her parents’ ability to speak English fluently contributed to her desire to vote.
“If my parents weren’t more involved [in politics], I definitely wouldn’t understand the importance of casting my vote,” Vu said.
Today, young Asian Americans like Vu are driving the rising wave of Asian American participation in American politics. In 2020, the turnout of Asian American voters hit a historic high of nearly 60%, fueled by the wave of Asian American hate crimes that hit the U.S. in 2016. According to New America, Asian
Americans are expected to make up one-tenth of all voters by 2044, making them a powerful voting bloc.
For junior Amari Patel, who is |
Indian, voting is a way to fight back against Asian hate.
“Your voice and vote matter to help change Asian hate,” Patel said. “I think that it sucks that Asian hate exists when it shouldn’t, and voting can help change that.”
As Asian Americans emerge as a force in politics, more and more politicians will divert more attention and resources to winning their vote. In January 2021, the surge in Asian American voters helped flip Georgia from a Republican stronghold to a blue state.
“As a smaller demographic, we need as many people from the Asian American community as possible to vote so that we will have a voice and representatives that have our best interests in mind,” Vu said.
Currently, Asian Americans make up just 0.9 percent of elected leaders across all levels of government. Even among states with large Asian American populations like New York and California, representation drops off. Hawaii is the only state whose share of Asian American elected leaders is nearly equivalent to its population. To Patel, this marginalization of Asian Americans can clearly be seen.
“I feel like we are [underrepresented in politics], we aren’t spoken to, we are discriminated against,” Patel said.
When Nov. 8, 2023 rolls around, both Vu and Patel say they plan on voting and making their voice heard.
“Being in a diverse country and having the privilege to have a say in our government isn’t something we [as Asian Americans] should take for granted,” Vu said.
“We should vote so that our community is represented just as well as any other minority.”
In 2019, Senate Bill 182 legalized medical marijuana usage in the state of Florida, allowing anyone with a Medical Marijuana Card to purchase cannabis products. Three years later, over 10 licensed dispensaries now operate in Central Florida. But as legal users get comfortable, so do underage students.
According to school administration manager Jason Maitland, sthe school expects up to 30 cases of drug use on campus every year, but he expects that number to grow even higher as odorless cartridges and dab pens have replaced joints and blunts, making it easier to use marijuana on campus. According to the SCPS Student Code of Conduct, students will recieve a 3-day suspension for their first infraction and a referral to Journeys Academy for their second.
“Pens are easy for students to use because there’s no smell,” Maitland said. “Instead of having to light it up, they can take a hit in five seconds and be on their way.”
Underage users most often use vape pens for their discretion. Just as in a nicotine vape, a THC-concentrate oil is stored in a cartridge, heated and inhaled as vapor. Although these devices have become popular among underage users, they come with a greater risk. While licensed dispensaries sell authentic THC cartridges, underaged users most often buy illegal ones, according to Maitland.
“Students don’t know how strong [these drugs] are, so they get sick, and we literally have to call for paramedics to make sure they’re okay,” Maitland said.
one of those situations where I realized I had to stop smoking because he was so careful with everything, but he still died.”
While marijuana is less likely to be laced as drugs like cocaine and LSD, it can still contain substances like laundry detergent, embalming fluid or lead, according to the American Addiction Center. Dealers often use these products to “bulk up” low-quality cannabis, and they almost always cause unpredictable side effects, or in some cases, overdose. Shortly after his friend’s passing, Jacob stopped smoking, only to continue to encounter underage users even more frequently.
“My dad is in the fire department, and I would be hearing about laced weed every night,” Jacob said. “Then I would come to school and my friends would be high. For me, there’s always a worry that something could happen.”
Stepping to the front of the room, junior Neha Kabir awaits the music. Taking a deep breath, she adjusts her saree, a traditional robe-like South Asian garment. Bengali music begins to play, a song chosen by her mother, and she begins to dance.
Kabir was born in Michigan, but lived in Bangladesh for two years before moving to Florida. While there, Kabir saw a great deal of pollution, overpopulation and poverty, a stark contrast to her life in America.
“Thankfully, [my family] was able to afford food and a house unlike many others,” Kabir said. “Regardless of that, it’s still a lot less luxurious than America by a long shot. Seeing how people live there really makes me feel grateful for everything I have now.”
37% of high school students report marijuana use in their lifetime 48.2 million people used marijuana at least once in 2019.
3 in 10 people who use marijuana have Marijuana Use Disorder 70% of reports involving Delta-8 required medical intervention
Though she herself does not use marijuana, Jane* also frequently encounters the drug on school grounds, usually in the parking lot or bathrooms.
“When I’m walking to my car I almost always pass a car that’s speeding through the parking lot with their window open and it reeks of weed. It’s disgusting,” Jane said.
However, Kabir does not shy away from her heritage. instead finding ways to appreciate her culture through community celebrations. Performing dances with her friends, Kabir celebrates pohela boishakh, or the Bengali new year, on April 14.
“Every year, the community and my family host a celebration where people come together and perform dances, poems, songs,” Kabir said. “I’ve performed a dance with my friends almost every year since I was young.”
Although Kabir says she is not religious, her family also at times celebrates Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
“When we moved here, my family met a community of other Bengali people who are Muslim,” Kabir said. “They celebrate Eid twice a year [so] we like to go to parties and celebrate with them.”
Retailers also offer products containing cannabinoids, chemicals that mimic the effects of marijuana, to dodge restrictions. For example, the cannabinoid Delta-8 has grown widely popular in Florida, with sellers arguing that the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 failed to mention the substance, so it must still be legal. While it is true that the act holds Delta-8 as a recreationally legal substance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against it – 70% of reports involving Delta-8 required medical intervention, and 45% of them were minors.
A former marijuana user, Jacob* believes he holds a different perspective on weed than his peers after losing a friend to a drug overdose last year.
“When he overdosed, it hit,” Jacob said. “It was
Facts from cdc.gov
Illustration | Andrew Wilson
As students continue to use weed pens on campus, administration knows that the issue is nothing new, but is nonetheless unsettling. School Resource Officer David Attaway says he worries most for students’ health.
“I feel disappointed to know that kids abuse their body when they’re so young. They don’t know what they’re doing,” Attaway said.
Administration relies on reports from students, teachers and parents to uncover drug usage, according to Maitland. He encourages teachers to to keep telltale signs of THC devices in mind.
“Educating parents and staff members is important, because while some staff members can spot these devices, others might not,’ Maitland said. “And because we have both a social worker and mental health counselor on campus, students can always reach out for help.”
*names have been changed for privacy
Kabir still visits her parents’ hometown of Dhaka, Bangladesh, her last visit in 2017. Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, she has not visited recently, but plans on doing so in the future.
“I definitely miss being around family the most, but I love my life and friends in Florida and wouldn’t give it up for anything,” Kabir said.
Living both in Bangladesh and America has allowed Kabir to see the world through multiple lenses.
“It has definitely allowed me to be less smallminded, and to actively seek out and appreciate other cultures around the world because I know what it is like to be both a South Asian and an American,” Kabir said. “I like to talk with other people with different cultures about what their experiences are like living in America.”
Twenty minutes into the second half, the girls varsity soccer team and Oviedo were tied at zero. It was a rough game as the girls were getting thrown to the ground and pushed around they decided they had enough. Center-back Skye Barnes made an across-the-field pass to attacking midfielder Brynn Waddell. Beating out three defenders, Waddell faked the goalie out and put the ball in the bottom left corner of the net, making the score 1-0.
“When she scored the first goal, it was so exciting,” striker Raegen Varvarigos said.
pushing and shoving but soon turned into knocking opponents over. There was very high tension between both teams the entire game.
“We kept the majority of our composure throughout the game, but we were able to calm down after realizing Oviedo was getting frustrated that they were losing,” Rosenblum said. “They were breaking down.”
The team has not lost to Oviedo for over a year. Last year, the first time they played them, they tied 3-3, but later on, in the playoffs, they knocked Oviedo out, beating them 2-1. This gave the team motivation to beat them again.
center-back
Varvarigos scored the second goal when Oviedo’s keeper got a pass from her teammate, she picked it up and then dropped the ball. Varvarigos, who was keeping an eye on the keeper, got a touch and kicked it into the goal. The final score was 2-0 after the team’s defense was able to shut out Oviedo’s multiple attempts at getting a goal.
Keeper Aryana Rosenblum had 10 saves and was awarded player of the game for shutting out Oviedo’s offense. Barnes made an assist as well as kept the defense under control the entire game. She was able to stop multiple scoring opportunities for Oviedo and kept the ball out of the box as much as possible.
“We had complete control, it was unmatchable,” Barnes said. “We never gave up and we did not stop after our first goal.”
Since it was a rivalry game, it got physical fast. It started with a little
against Oviedo
“After losing to Oviedo my freshman year I never wanted to lose to them again,” Rosenblum said. “Beating them last year in the playoffs gave us more confidence this year to beat them again.”
The Oviedo game has been a highlight for a mostly positive season. They had a couple of tough losses against Lake Brantley 4-0 and Bishop Moore 3-0, and a tie against Lake Highland 1-1, but this game sparked a fire in the girls and gave them the confidence to turn their season around.
“We started the season off very slow and not being able to communicate well as a team,” Varvarigos said. “The game against Oviedo made us realize how well we play together and we will go far this season.”
After the win, the team has a record of 4-2-1, they play Lake Mary. The game will be away and will be held at 7 p.m.
Varsity soccer has turned the tablesHEAD IN THE GAME Winger Olivia Cachat goes for the ball against former Hagerty player Reagan Fitzgerald. The team won against Oviedo 2-0. Photo | Brett Beliech
We never gave up and we did not stop after our first goal.
-
Skye Barnes
“
In their fourth game of the season, the girls varsity basketball team took home a huge 71-57 win against Tampa Plant on Wednesday, Dec. 7. This made the team’s record 4-0.
Coming off of three wins the team was confident in their skill set, knowing Tampa Plant would still be a tough competition.
Top performers of the game included Hannah Kohn, who scored 34 points with eight 3-pointers, and Ciara Hayes, who scored 18 points with five 3-pointers.
Guards Ciara Hayes and Kiara Harris shut down the two top scorers for Tampa Plant and held them each under 10 points. Both usually average about 17 points per game.
“Our two front guards, Ciara Hayes and Kiara Harris’, ability to hold two of [Tampa Plant’s] best scorers got us going for sure. Their ability to bother those players made their team uncomfortable for a little while which was really big for us,” head coach Joshua Kohn said.
The team’s defense took control and led to the win. Tampa Plant often scores between 60 and 75 points so
limiting them to 57 was impressive.
“We executed well on defense, we stuck to the game plan and just really listened to our coach who made up a great game plan,’’ Hayes said. “We were encouraging each other each time we had a good pass, and even when the momentum went down, we didn’t let it phase us.”
For the first time, the boys varsity soccer team played against Harmony High School on Dec. 7. It was Harmony’s first year from 6A to 7A. The game ended with Harmony winning, 2-1.
The first quarter started slow with a couple shots at a goal by both teams, but the game changed at the 20 minute mark with a goal by midfielder Jaret Ong.
“After Jaret scored the opener, it felt really good because it was a goal that we worked for and got rewarded,” goalkeeper Erwin Eberhardt said.
This warmed up the competition though as several attempts were made on Eberhardt, but he managed to stop them all.
At the end of the first half the energy picked up when the team earned a corner kick, but the shot was stopped by the goalie. This led to the ball being pushed to the other end, with a shot that slid right over the top of the goal, and the half ended with a score of 1-0.
The second half started quickly as the opposing team scored. This seemed to bring the team back into the game with midfielder Brett Beliech pushing forward with many close
Capitalizing on holiday spirit (and the exceedingly successful girls lacrosse pumpkin patch), the boys lacrosse team opened their first ever Husky Holiday Shots fundraiser. Open on Fridays 3-8 p.m, Saturdays 3-8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., the booth is set up in front of the school, featuring eight unique backgrounds for families to enjoy while donating to the team.
Looking for ways to raise money, the Mediavilla family, whose son John plays for the team, came up with the idea to do a holiday photo booth following the girls lacrosse team’s pumpkin patch fundraiser. They spent about a week or two building
and about three days setting up everything needed to open the booth. Many of the players on the team volunteer at the photo booth whether that be setting up, taking photos or asking families if they need help.
Senior John Mediavilla spends a lot of time making sure that everything is perfect for when families come to enjoy themselves.
“A bunch of people helped set it up, but there were about six families from the lacrosse team that primarily helped with the whole thing,” Mediavilla said.
Every Friday before they open, volunteers make sure that everything is reset to its photo-worthy state. When the photo booth is not open, they do the best they can to keep
backgrounds from getting damaged and little props from being stolen or lost.
“We put things in the cheer and football trailer that could possibly get stolen or damaged, like the presents, and then we take them out before we open again,” Mediavilla said. “We also take tarps off the backgrounds and make sure everything looks photo ready.”
So far, the booth has made about three quarters of its goal amount of money. As it continues in future years, they hope to attract more attention, and with that more money.
“I think this could definitely be something that continues next year. It will give the chance for more people to become aware,” Mediavilla said.
attempts at scoring. The team tried to break the tie with shot after shot, but could not score. Forward Vincent Talo earned a yellow card, but shortly after Beliech was awarded a penalty kick which he could not convert.
The game continued, and with 18 minutes left, Harmony scored again. Harmony began to get more aggressive, and they earned two yellow cards in the remaining time.
The team was desperately shooting at the end of the game to tie the score, but, despite several attempts, nothing was made, and the game ended 2-1.
“I was honestly pretty upset after the game,” Eberhardt said. “We were winning and then out of nowhere we were down by a goal.”
Abigail Neal | Staff Reporter A blow-up Santa holiday photobooth prop Photo | James Lopez Guard Kiara Harris Photo | Marietta Jordan Junior Dylan Shyy Photo | Grace Hilton
it to the finals. He ended up falling short, and lost by pin, but still met his expectations.
Spirits were high as the varsity wrestling team showed up to University High School at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 for weigh-ins. The Clash of the Titans tournament is always the first tournament of the season, and last year the team took third.
This year the team went 9-12, and all matches were either won or lost by pin. Even though it was just a warm-up tournament, team captain Kamden Harrison still expects much more from his team.
“We definitely struggled a little, there were a lot of things that we needed to continue to work on,” Harrison said. “Everyone seems to have the same heart and hustle that we are looking for when wrestling, [but] everyone is still improving.”
The day started off slow, with many first match losses. As a result, the team had to wait to wrestle in the consolation rounds, and fight their way through the consolation bracket. Besides the rough start for some, top performers included Harrison, sophomore Gavin Nelson, freshman Nikolas Blake, junior Hunter Tate and senior Landon Revis.
This was Nelson’s first tournament back since he had surgery on his shoulder this past May. After taking sixth place last year, Nelson made a comeback and took second place in the 152 pound weight class. He wrestled his way through and made
“I had my first good tournament. My finals match was definitely my hardest match; he wrestled quick and smart,” Nelson said.
Harrison also had an exceptional tournament, but his semifinal match was a tough one, against a wrestler from Satellite High School. The match lasted three periods, and was back and forth the whole match. Harrison came up short in the finals, but won his semifinal match by pin.
“Right before the third period started the Satellite coach yelled to his wrestler that he was breaking me down, and that I was tired. I went out and pinned him in 20 seconds,” Harrison said.
Harrison took second place in the 160 weight class.
Another wrestler who had a good start to their season was freshman Nikolas Blake. He wrestled in the 132 weight class, and he took second place, after a controversial call was made in the final. Blake had his opponent in a cradle, and had the kid flat on his back, pinning him, but the referee said Blake pinned himself and his opponent took first.
Everyone in the gym was shocked, including the other wrestler, when the referee raised the other wrestler’s hand at the end of the match. Head coach Scotty Diaz argued with the referee at the end of the match to get the call reversed, and the
meeting ended with the referee kicking Diaz out of the tournament.
Diaz was suspended for six varsity tournaments due to speculated profanity. Diaz has appealed the suspension and several other coaches, including the coach of the opponent who took first from that match have been sending letters talking about what actually happened and defending Diaz’s character over the past decade.
“I got robbed from winning my first tournament, I had that kid pinned and everyone in the gym knew it, including him,” Blake said. “Besides losing that match, I think I wrestled up to my expectations, and I am really excited for the rest of the season. It is going to be a good year.”
Even though a handful of wrestlers did place, the results were not up to par for the team or the coach.
“We need to be more physical and confident, but they battled back after losses to place as high as they could,” Diaz said.
The team only has a week left before one of the biggest dual tournaments of the season. The Johnny Rouse Invitational, the tournament Hagerty hosts every year. The team’s goal is to place in the top five.
The tournament will take place at Hagerty High School on Dec. 15-17. Tickets can be found on gofan. com.