The BluePrint - Volume 6, Issue 5

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news

Strike a pose.

Students host Project Promway fashion show to benefit project graduation.

Hagerty High School

What’s inside

News bites UCF College Prep Day: College prep day will be held at UCF on Saturday, April 23. It is open to juniors and seniors and provides an opportunity to help students and their parents understand the steps necessary for college admission. The deadline to register is April 11. For more information, contact mass@mail. ucf.edu.

Senior Breakfast: Senior breakfast will be held on April 29.

Caps and gowns will be distributed during this time.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering to help can contact Michelle Preston at Preston5stl@ aol.com or Cheryl Fleming at Flemside@aol.com.

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lifestyles

Best buds forever.

Teachers form close relationships with coworkers on the job.

Sweet Charity 3225 Lockwood Blvd. Oviedo, Florida 32765

news....................2 lifestyles..............3 middle.................6 opinions...............8 sports.................10

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volume 6 issue 5 april 8, 2011

Upbeat musical dazzles under stage lights Sohani Kasireddy

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co-news editor lashy dance numbers. Seductive poses. Lackadaisical hippies. This was just the teaser to the Purebred Production’s latest musical, Sweet Charity. The play features senior Kristen Lichtenthal in the lead role of Charity Valentine, a 1960s dance hall hostess.

Valentine is on a desperate search to find her one true love. She has her eye on Oscar Lindquist, a nervous man, played by senior Sean Gallagher, whom Charity befriends in a stalled elevator.

The musical opened last night and will continue through Saturday April 9. It begins at 7 p.m. each of the three nights.

Tickets will be pre sold at lunch for $8 and will cost $10 at the door. Priority seating is also available for $12 at both lunches and the door.

Preparation for the musical began with auditions in early January. Similar to other productions, auditions spanned over an intense three day period. Rehearsals were held nearly every day of the week. The crew was responsible for the creation of the majority of costumes, sets and props.

“Our crew is very talented,” rehearsal secretary Allison Graham said. “They have to change scenes by bringing in and taking out sets for different scenes all within ten seconds and it takes a lot to do that.”

Sweet Charity was chosen after the students’ abilities were taken into consideration. As a student body with a wealth of dancers and singers, this play seemed to be the most suitable. However, this musical meant a large cast would be required. In fact, about 100 students showed up to the initial meeting for the cast and crew. Among these

students, 85 were able to participate.

Unlike previous productions, Sweet Charity is relatively risqué with suggestive scenes. It does not follow the pattern of family oriented plays like Footloose, Seussical or Beauty and the Beast. As a result, the musical could not be performed for the elementary school aged children like others had been.

“Some of the cast and crew have had kids comment on the raunchiness of the play.” Lichtenthal said. “It’s a shame that people say that because it’s great show.”

Both Lichtenthal and Graham have heard a variety of opinions from the show, most of which are positive. Graham believes this musical has been popular among the students due to the songs and constant energy. She hopes this type of performance will attract a larger viewing audience.

Sammy Awards: The third annual Sammy Awards will be held on April 28. Seniors can walk down the red carpet in semi-formal attire beginning at 6 p.m. All seniors are allowed to bring one guest with their invitation. Seats can be reserved at both lunches.

FCAT Testing Dates: Session one of the FCAT Reading will be held on Monday, April 11, and session two on Tuesday, April 12. Science FCAT for juniors will be held on Wednesday, April 13 and FCAT Math for sophomores from Thursday, April 14 to Monday, April 18. Testing rooms will be posted outside the guidance office.

Driver’s Education: Applications must be turned in no later than April 29. Forms can be found on the Hagerty website.

Husky poll

photo by sammy somers

Students dance a scene in the play Sweet Charity. The play will be perfomed in the auditorium at 7 p.m. April 7,8 and 9.

Walkers unite to fight cancer in Relay

Matthew Neveras

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staff reporter alking may not be a cure for cancer, but it sure can make a difference as Oviedo prepares for the biggest fundraiser event of the year that raises money for the American Cancer Society- Relay for Life.

Relay for Life will start tonight, Friday, April 8 at the Oviedo Gymnasium and Aquatics Facility. It is an overnight event that lasts 18-24 hours. Participants come and pledge money for the amount of walking they do during the event and can choose to come in teams or individually.

Relay begins with a survivors lap where cancer survivors are the only ones walking, as a way to celebrate their victory beating the disease. Around the walking area, local organizations from the community set up booths and sell different goods, from food to raffle tickets, as an additional way to raise money.

“I like doing Relay for Life because I know I’m making a difference in the lives of someone who was affected by cancer,” junior Larissa Curran said. “Plus it’s a lot of fun and a great experience.”

Once the sun sets, a luminary ceremony takes place. People buy bags, decorate them and fill them with sand and a candle.

After all the bags are lit, a silent walk takes place in remembrance of the fallen victims.

“My grandfather died on my birthday in 2009,” junior Tyler Yeargain said. “Seeing him weakened by cancer was devastating, so I’m doing this to be strong for him.”

Many clubs will participate in the event and have their own booths. This year’s theme for Relay is “Surviving Cancer is no Act”, and each booth has a different movie as their backdrop. The movies range from “101 Dalmatians” to “Avatar” and many clubs are busy at work as they continue to design their booths and begin to fundraise.

“Our movie is ‘The Karate Kid’ ”, junior Liz Lee, student government member, said.

“Junior Class specifically is selling fortune cookies; it’s going to be awesome.”

Even though they are not required to, many clubs feel it is their responsibility and are very proud to be participating in Relay for Life in order to make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.

“Clubs have enough dedicated members to make a difference,” Hagerty

photo by matthew neveras

Sophomores Jordan Norwood and Jaymi Curran work on their booth sign.

HANDS club sponsor Heidi Grasso said.

“By fundraising, we want to help make a difference in the lives of all those affected by cancer.”

Relay for Life is free to the public and everyone in the Oviedo community is encouraged to come out and support the American Cancer Society. Also, people are encouraged to celebrate the lives of past and present cancer survivors and remember those who did not survive the battle.

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Issue 5

Hagerty

news

highlight

Madison Ellis

• Senior Madison Ellis has participated

in four mission trips to Brazil as a member of the First Baptist Church of Oviedo.

• Ellis participates in these mission trips

em

j by oto ph s ma on

•

once or twice a year. Her most recent trip spanned over 10 days during which she visited cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

During these trips, Ellis and other members of her church perform skits, lead prayer walks and teach vacation bible school to present the gospel.

“

”

Once I went there, I fell in love with the country and culture. The best part of the experience is knowing that our skits can make a difference in someone’s life.

“Our teachers always taught us not to staff reporter think about the score, but rather how we n Saturday, April 2, Jazz Ensemble I feel when we get off the stage. The whole traveled to Coral Reef High School experience made us closer. We’re a family.”

Musicians who were part of this in Miami and received a superior rating in the state competition. The group experience had prepared for six weeks had received superior ratings at the district prior. They stayed for two days and one night, and had the chance to enjoy some level to qualify for the event in Miami. of the restaurants and Director Chris De culture of Miami.

Leon was thrilled with “The whole experience The group will bring the group’s performance, has made us closer. their award-winning especially since this was We’re family.” talents to the band the first time the group -Brittany Zembower program’s presentation had made the trip to of Jazz Under the Stars state competition. At on April 14. Both Jazz the Miami site, 23 other groups competed in the Jazz category, and Ensemble I and Jazz Ensemble II will 16 received a rating of superior. Concert perform, starting at 7 p.m. Students can and jazz bands statewide traveled to one of purchase tickets for $7 from the front desk, and adult tickets will cost $10. Dinner will four locations for the event.

“We were all really excited,” ensemble be catered by Woody’s Barbecue at about member, senior Brittany Zembower said. 5:30 p.m.

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Project Promway was held on Thursday, March 17 at 5:30 p.m.

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This all-senior event was conducted to show off different styles of dress for boys and girls in preparation for prom.

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Seniors Yash Naran and Mikaela Maensivu hosted the event and introduced the models as they made their way across the stage.

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Some of the models who participated: Colin Blume, Tim Patch, Heidi Humbert, Kris Ryan, Amanda Dixon, Kelsey Smith, Vanessa Markgraf, Aashna Deva, Shante’ Middleton, Mabel Baez, Nadia Albaiz, Amberlin Hall, Gloria Clowney, Katherine Leblanc, Kristin Krawcyzk, Kristina Schukin and Jorey Blackmer.

compiled by sohani kasireddy

Jazz Band shines in Miami Mehak Rahman

Project Promway

photos by sammy somers

lifestyles

Students discover new way to express themselves online

Jem Mason

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April 8, 2011

co-lifestyles editor he popular saying online is that Facebook killed Myspace, but could Facebook have a challenger? In 2007, David Karp’s new social networking site, Tumblr, joined the Internet. Tumblr, with its emphasis on user-friendly qualities, has risen dramatically in popularity from 3 million users its founding year, to 16 million members in 2011.

Members have the ability to post text entries, high quality pictures, music files, links and videos plus share posts from other blogs by ‘reblogging.’

“I once tried joining Livejournal, another blogging site, but it was really confusing and difficult to get into, which is why I love Tumblr,” junior Thomas Pagan said. “It is really simple and easy to understand so I was able to get into it almost instantly.”

Tumblr gives each member a personal domain name within the site where others can view their posts without following them. When members follow their favorite blogs, they can view all the posts on their dashboard, Tumblr’s equivalent of a Facebook newsfeed.

“I really like to follow photography blogs,” junior Katelyn Satterfield said. “It is stuff you have never seen before because it is their own original artwork.”

Tumblr has also taken an aspect from Myspace—band advertisement. Band members and bands have created Tumblrs to keep their fans up to date with personal life and band information with pictures and limitless text in posts.

“I love how I can follow my favorites bands closer through Tumblr,” sophomore Kaitlyn Becker said. “I can share stuff about them with my followers by reblogging their posts.”

Users share posts from other blogs with their followers by reblogging, reposting the entries onto their blogs, or liking the posts. Unlike Facebook, Tumblr saves all posts members like so they can look at them on their dashboard or display them on their blog.

“Facebook is for communicating while Tumblr is more for browsing, but it is more entertaining,” Pagan said. “Facebook is the same over and over, while there is always something new and fresh on Tumblr.”

Users can find posts on topics they like and find blogs with similar interests as theirs through search keywords, tags. At the same time tags can be used to block posts members do not want to see on their dashboard by putting the tags on a blacklist.

“Everyone likes the same things so it is one big community of friends,” junior Cobin Gore said. “But because of that, it is hard to get away from things you do not like, which is why I blocked Glee tags.”

While most blogs are not private, there is the option to make a blog accessible only those given permission. Additionally, Tumblr has a questionnaire format feature much like Formspring, but users have the option to disable anonymous questions so no one can hide behind anonymity.

“I can be myself; it is such a judgment free zone where you can post your thoughts and no one cares,” Satterfield said. “People are really accepting on Tumblr.”

Facebook vs Tumblr: What’s the difference?

Pictures • Tumblr does not resize images and allows them to keep their high resolution • Facebook resizes large images and lowers the resolution • Tumblr has photosets in place of Facebook photo albums • Tumblr allows animated .gifs

Privacy • New Facebook users are private by default upon joining • Tumblr’s default blog is completely public • Facebook has different levels of privacy depending on what users want strangers be able to see • Tumblr users can make specific posts available to only their followers or make the entire blog private

Post length • Facebook statuses have a 240 character limit • Tumblr text posts have no limit • Facebook users can create ‘Notes’ that do not have text limits • Tumblr users can insert pictures in their text

Servers • Facebook servers are almost never down • Tumblr servers are down enough there is a mascot, the Tumbeast, for server problems • Facebook supports 500 million members while Tumblr has 16 million

Profile designs • Tumblr users have the option of hundreds of designs to personalize their blogs • Facebook profiles are uniform and the same • Tumblr users can write the coding for their own blog designs

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Issue 5

lifestyles

Baits for prom dates Upperclassmen search for dates to dance Sabrina Chehab

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co-lifestyles editor tories of heartbreak, stories of romance, stories of triumph—few things represent high school quite like prom. Victory comes to those who break conventional boundaries to find a date; standing out from the crowd is a strategy that can be used as a clever persuasion tactic.

Because prom began with the energetic youth of the 1920s, the “will you go to prom with me?” question easily became worn out over the span of 90 years.

But creativity came easily to senior Greg Beringer, who figured out a way to deviate from this standard when asking junior Nicole Concilio to prom.

“I set signs up along [Nicole’s] street before her house and I was waiting for her to come home from school,” Beringer said. “I was standing behind the last sign with roses.”

Each sign had a few words that, together, created a sentence asking Concilio to prom. It took Beringer about 10 minutes to set up and 30 minutes to deliver the surprise.

“I was really surprised and almost started crying,” Concilio said. “And I was driving, so I almost crashed.”

Beringer’s only motivation was to catch Concilio off guard with his creative

illustration by sabrina chehab

proposition. Similarly, junior Clay Middleton wanted to do something unique to ask senior Skylar Amkraut to prom.

“I woke up one morning and I found 20 balloons in my car that said different things on them, like ‘be my date,’ and some had hearts of them,” Amkraut said. “There was a rose on my driver’s seat.”

Middleton asked Amkraut’s mother to unlock her car doors for him in the morning. His method, however, resembled that of a former student’s.

“I got the idea from Mike Haden; he graduated last year,” Middleton said. “I copied him, he has no idea.”

Since prom is customary in American culture, it is almost an assumption that

Military calls to Kutz Kaitlan Aries

“very hard” admission difficulty, with an editor-in-chief acceptance rate of 14 percent. he typical picture of the college “Words can not really describe how life does not include 5 a.m. wake- excited and satisfied I felt upon receiving ups, intense personal training and the news of my acceptance,” Kutz said. “I an iron-clad schedule for every day of the had put a lot of work and sacrificed much week. However, that is exactly what senior of my time and effort into this process, and Andrew Kutz expected when he signed up it all paid off.” for the United States Military Academy at Since his decision to attend West West Point in the summer.

Point, Kutz has been preparing for the Kutz’s motivation for attending West lifestyle of an Army Cadet. On June 26, he Point can be defined by just a single will begin the 6 1/2 weeks of Cadet Basic word: patriotism.

Training. The CBT begins with a fitness “We as Americans are very privileged, test, which involves a two-mile run, two and it is my personal belief that we owe minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups a debt to the and a 150 yard country that swimming has given us placement “We as Americans are very so much,” test. privileged, and it is my personal Kutz said.

“I have a belief that we owe a debt to the “I figured fairly strict I might as w o r k o u t country that has given us so much. well kill schedule I figured I might as well kill two two birds consisting of birds with one stone; go to college with one four to five and repay my country.” stone; go to mile runs, -Andrew Kutz college and weights, pushrepay my ups, sit-ups country.” and pull-ups,” Kutz began the lengthy application Kutz said. “All that fun stuff I will have to process in April 2010. He believes the do my first summer up there.” application takes more dedication than While at West Point, Kutz would like to that of a traditional university. Not only study engineering, most likely mechanical. was Kutz required to fill out forms and After graduation, he will have a second write essays, but he also needed to take lieutenant rank in the United States Army. a physical assessment, get approved by a While in the Army, he wants to join the specified doctor, and receive a nomination aviation program and fly helicopters. from a senator or representative of the “I may decide to make a career out of state. Kutz was nominated by both Sen. the military and not be out until I retire,” Bill Nelson and Rep. Susan Kosmas.

Kutz said. “If I decide to get out after For Kutz, being accepted to West Point fulfilling the [five] required years, I will was a major accomplishment. According probably settle down, get married and find to College Prowler, the Academy has a some job that puts food on the table.”

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couples will attend prom. So the question is often anticipated—but methods are unknown.

“I knew [Greg] was going to ask me,” Concilio said. “I just did not know how he was going to ask me.”

And sometimes the surprise is not surprising, but more of a loving and unusual gesture.

“I was not surprised at all,” Amkraut said. “But it was a really cute thing for him to do.”

Whether or not the chances of rejection become more slim if students go out on a whim in asking for a date to prom is debatable. Some students believe these creative methods have

a greater chance of being entertaining and more impressionable.

“I would want a guy to put up signs for me because it is thoughtful and there is effort put into it,” junior Kayla Ellerbe said. “Of course I would say yes, it is almost an obligation.”

But does asking creatively really make a difference? Other students believe that strategies for asking should be planned depending on the popular standard.

“If everyone else is putting up billboards, you don’t want to be the lame one who asks someone to prom over a text or something,” senior Alex Walters said.

“But otherwise, it does not really matter or make a difference.”

lifestyles

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April 8, 2011

Teachers form faceted friendships Kristin Krawczyk

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business manager hey text each other, they hang out on the weekends and they read each other’s Facebook religiously.

Maybe teachers are similar to students— they do spend more than 180 days together at school. It is not surprising that teachers become best friends and most friendships begin with a first impression. “[Brandi Malkovich] is from Illinois, so I thought she would have an accent; that was my first impression,” government teacher Jayme Jamison said. “My second impression was that I thought she was really important because she talked about how she played golf.”

After they became friends and spent a lot of time together, it was natural to feel like family. The Malkoviches claim to have adopted Jamison as their daughter, so Jamison jokingly says that their dog is her sister. One of Jamison’s favorite memories was when she joined the Malkoviches at their house for Thanksgiving last year.

Everyone started eating the variety of food, except Mr. Malkovich. He began to fall asleep at the table as he told the group that he would alternate between cutting a piece of turkey and eating a piece of turkey as he carved it.

Working at the same place as a BFF has its benefits, such as the availability of a teacher. Malkovich calls Jamison if something funny or bad happens, and she knows Jamison will always answer, listen to whatever she has to say, and laugh at the stories she tells.

The reassurance of having a best friend at the same workplace is a common theme among other teachers. Economics teacher Katie Tullis also enjoys the company of

English teacher Marisa Robinson in and out of school.

“It is comforting knowing that your best friend is at the school you teach at,” Tullis said. “Like on Tuesdays now, [Robinson will] come over [to my room] and bring her papers that she has to grade and I’ll do my stuff, just to hang out and sit in the same room; it is very nerdy.”

They first became friends five years ago. Tullis had been teaching at Milwee Middle School when Robinson moved into the classroom adjoining Tullis’s.

“She is a kind of person that you immediately love,” Tullis said. “She definitely brings peace to my soul.”

Tullis and Robinson are a large part of each other’s personal lives, including Tullis attending Robinson’s wedding.

“I think what made her wedding special to me is just that she’s probably one of the best people that I know,” Tullis said. “Seeing her marry one of the other best people that I know was a really special moment for my fiancé and I because they have been such good people in our lives.”

Science teachers Marc Pooler and Christopher Adams have also become a large part of each other’s lives. They have been friends since last year and now continue the bond as fathers. They took

their children, River and Avi, to the Econ River over spring break to play and walk on the trails.

“Immediately when I saw him I saw his beard and I was like, ‘That guy is going to be my friend. I can tell just from the beard,’” Pooler said. “He is also crazy in the head which I like because I think I am a little crazy in the head and we clicked because of it.”

Now that they are friends, Pooler takes a walk to Adams’s room some mornings before school starts to joke around.

“Once I see Mr. Adams, I feel rejuvenated, then I have the strength to come back and grade papers,” Pooler said.

photo provided by jayme jamison

Government teacher Jayme Jamison and anatomy teacher Brandi Malkovich play trivia games every Thursday.

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Issue 5

lifestyles

Music

Pirates

Illegal downloading becomes popu source for teen music

Digital downloads increasingly illegal Sarah Casagrande

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staff reporter ifteen years ago, the only way people could get their hands on their favorite songs was to spend around $20 and buy a CD from the store. Then, the music industry changed. Now to get music it is not necessary to spend any money or even to leave home.

Digital music has spiked in popularity over recent years. Sites such as iTunes and Rhapsody allow people to purchase 10 to 15 songs for less than the cost of the average CD. And although each has over 5 million songs available, there is still another way to get music that has grown rapidly: illegal downloads.

The first online music file-share site was Napster, launched in 1999

by Shawn Fanning. Napster allowed people to trade and download as many music files as they wanted for free. It was popular, but it was also illegal, and in 2001 it was shut down by the Ninth Circuit Court due to massive copyright violations. Although Napster has been re-launched and requires a paid subscription, there are still dozens of illegal sites on the Internet that cause record studios to lose profits.

The music industry loses $12.5 billion every year due to music piracy, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Piracy not only affects the songwriters, but also the song engineers and technicians who are involved in music. Record studios are forced to cut hundreds of artists from their rosters as well as fire thousands of employees every year due to budget limitations.

Websites such as LimeWire, FrostWire, BitTorrent and Pirate Bay are all music-share sites. They are free and provide an unlimited amount of music, but all of them are illegal. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, over 40 billion music files were shared illegally on sites like these in 2008, compared to only 1.4 billion legal files shared that same year.

People use these sites and are not aware of the consequences. According to CNN, the RIAA has sued or threatened to sue over 40,000 people for illegal music downloads. Settlements usually result a fine anywhere from $750 to $150,000. The highest settlement ever awarded was $1.92 million, although the amount was later reduced.

In 2010, high schooler Whitney Harper, 16, was fined $7400 for 37

song downloads, and in 2003, Brianna LaHara, 12, was fined $2000 by the RIAA even though she had paid $29.95 for a music subscription. Both cases involved the illegal music site KaZaA. Another issue with the sites is that they frequently contain computer viruses and other malware. According to DelawarePCTech.com, anti-virus programs are not 100 percent effective and once a virus has been downloaded, it gives someone else access to that computer’s hard drive. Financial aid applications, bank account transactions and other documents that contain important information can be stolen.

The virus can also completely corrupt a computer and erase its memory; all for music downloaded illegally off of the Internet.

The people who use downloaded music the most are teens and young adults. According to Podcasting News, 96 percent of people aged 18-24 use illegal media of some kind and the average teen’s iPod has over $800 of pirated music on it.

The IFPI found that music sales dropped 32.1 percent from 2001-2008, and sales are expected to decrease every year as the popularity of illegal music files increases.

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lifestyles

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April 8, 2011

Pirate shops fuel music theft Jack Schwartz

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staff reporter ith 1000 plus song capacity, iPods and MP3 players can hold literally thousands of dollars worth of pirated music. The problem is that most music fans do not have $1000 lying around.

This has sparked illegal downloading sites and engines known by Time Magazine as “pirate shops,” websites like Frostwire or KaZaA. Pirate shops are 100 percent-free, advertisement-based music downloading sites. Users can download the software of their choice relatively easily, and find a tremendous selection of free music with the simple search function.

Many people see nothing wrong with this, but, technically, it is stealing.

If a song costs 99 cents, a user can essentially steal large quantities of money from the music industry. Now picture someone filling a 32GB iPod. A 32GB iPod, on average, holds about 7,000 songs. Therefore, a single person could potentially steal $7,000 from the artists they know and love.

“I don’t think I would have an iPod if I had to buy my music,” sophomore Aaron Yang said. “The price would stack up too much.”

With 40 billion illegal downloads, the average listener does not worry too much about legality.

“Kanye West sleeps on money,” Yang said. “I don’t feel bad at all about downloading his music illegally.”

Artists like Kanye West bring in a tremendous income, yet illegal music still dents his wallet.

In 2006, top selling albums sold roughly 20 million copies. In 2009, the average top selling album sold only 5 million copies. Although the industry earns $4 billion a year from Internet sales, it loses $40 billion from pirates.

According to Besttechie.net, 76 percent of iPod owners own illegal music. This black market is based on the interests of the user. There are popular illegally downloaded artists just like there are legally downloaded ones. Lil’ Wayne makes about $100 million a year, yet he is also in the top ten “most pirated” lists.

So how does Wayne bring in such annual pay? What people do not seem to realize is that all of the free music for music fans is free advertisement for artists. A report done by Time Magazine stated that roughly 78 percent of attendees of a Lil’ Wayne concert admitted to downloading their favorite

Wayne songs illegally. Theoretically, the majority of Wayne’s performance income is fueled by the same people who illegally download his music.

Although the illegal music craze absorbs the majority of the industry, there are those who choose to purchase all of their music. Some feel that it cheats the artist, and choose not to.

Some are simply disappointed with the quality of the music downloaded, or worry about computer viruses, which is the most common.

These pirate shops are known for being the cause of computer issues, however, it is not the software itself, but the songs. Songs are uploaded to the pirate shops by the public; therefore the risk of a virus-carrying file can be relatively high.

“I don’t download illegally because anyone can go on Limewire [pirate shop] and add something that will mess up my computer,” sophomore Meghan Gaborko said.

Users cannot be sure that what they are downloading is a safe file and many feel that the music is not worth the trouble.

“My computer crashed because of Limewire a while ago,” junior David James said. “It’s not even worth it.”

illustrations by sabrina chehab and justin moser

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Issue 5

According to Kait

Hagerty High School

3225 Lockwood Blvd.

Oviedo, FL 32765 Telephone: (407) 871-0750 Fax: (407) 871-0817 Email: hhsblueprint@gmailcom

The Blue Print is a studentproduced newspaper published six times a year in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s view as a whole, and do not reflect the opinions of Seminole County Public Schools, the school board, or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

Letters to the editor are encouraged, but cannot be anonymous. Please submit to email, Brit Taylor’s staff mailbox or to room 6-201. For more information about advertising in the paper, please contact the staff via one of the methods listed above. We reserve the right to reject any advertisement.

Principal Sam Momary Adviser Brit Taylor Editor-in-Chief Kaitlan Aries Managing Editor Robyn Smith News Editors Sohani Kasireddy Justin Moser Lifestyles Editors Sabrina Chehab Jem Mason Opinions Editor Kait Moorman Sports Editors Jacob Calloway Scott Strauss Graphics Editor Jacob Calloway Photos Editor Jem Mason Business Manager Kristin Krawczyk Staff Reporters Sarah Casagrande Sean Donovan Meagan Galczak Matthew Neveras Mehak Rahman Sam Salinas Jack Schwartz

Americans can afford to sacrifice time and money Kait Moorman

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opinions editor s Americans, we spend excessive amounts of money on things that quickly become insignificant.

We do not hesitate to spend $500 on a cruise over spring break, $250 on a prom dress or $1000 on a graduation present.

But as we so freely dispose of our money, individuals all over the world are suffering from things that money—and small amounts, at that—could prevent.

According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2009, the average U.S. consumer unit, consisting of 2.5 persons, spends an average of $43,628 annually. This money goes toward all sorts of necessities like food, housing, transportation, insurance and pensions.

But of the almost $44,000, about $7,000 goes toward luxuries like personal care, entertainment, alcoholic beverages, apparel, tobacco and miscellaneous items.

That is not to say we cannot splurge on ourselves every once and a while; it is our money, we should do with it what we please. But before swiping that card

or handing the clerk some dough, we should carefully consider the weight of our financial decisions. Americans often spend money on an item that holds no meaning to them soon after it is purchased. For example, teenagers especially are quck to spend $80 on a jeans that they wear few times before retiring them for good.

Meanwhile, Global Issues, a site that examines and breaks down problems facing the world, reports that over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 each day. This world is incredibly broken, and developing countries are in desperate need of financial rescue— rescue America, the wealthiest country in the world, can provide without much sacrifice.

A few weeks ago, I was one of 105 people to participate in an event called “48: A Slum Experience” at a camp called Servants in Faith and Technology. During this event, campers and volunteers alike spent 48 consecutive hours living in a slum simulation. Volunteers took on the roles of individuals one would come across in a real-life slum and could not break character for any reason. I played the role of a crazy widow whose husband was murdered by the slum’s gang leader, played by the camp director. Throughout the entire 48 hours, three people spoke to me and I ate an apple, a tortilla and a quarter of an avocado.

People live like this, and even in worse conditions, every single day. They may not speak to another human being for weeks on end. They scrounge for food and eat the few scraps they can find. They sleep outside when it is below freezing, but unlike me, they do not have access to a sleeping bag or even a pair of socks. This experience made

opinions

me realize how often I take the things I have for granted. It is crazy to think that people live in conditions that can so easily be remedied by the equivalent of a few American dollars.

The camp director at SIFAT, Nate Paulk, once told me, “Don’t feel guilty for what you have; feel responsible.” We are called to use the things we have been blessed with to make radical things happen and to make a difference in the world, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant one act may seem to us. Change produces more change, causing a ripple effect that could potentially transform the world we live in for the better.

In an effort to help out those in need and counter the “careless American” stereotype, people can get involved with local and international organizations that were created to provide for individuals who cannot provide for themselves.

This includes a variety of groups, from Home Sweet Homeless, which aims to provide food and shelter for the homeless population in Orlando, to Heifer International, a group that provides livestock and training to families to improve their nutrition and help them generate income in sustainable ways.

Involvement can be anything from volunteering time to offering money to support various causes. But whether it is $5 or 5 minutes that is donated, it can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

(For more information: SIFAT – www. sifat.org, Home Sweet Homeless – www. hshomeless.com, Heifer International – www.heifer.org)

Budget cuts to affect schools Justin Moser

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co-news editor here is no way to deny that Florida’s budget and school system have taken a beating.

Unfortunately, the situation for the state’s schools does not seem to show any signs of relenting, especially with the recent election of Republican governor Rick Scott and the unveiling of his new state budget plan.

Governor Scott’s plan for the state emphasizes a small government and an expanded private sector. He plans to achieve this through lower taxes, fewer state employees and a smaller budget.

Florida’s current budget stands at $70.5 billion per year, a small part of which comes from a soon-to-expire federal stimulus package. Due to the recent recession, Florida is short on money by $3.6 billion. Governor Scott’s newly revealed budget, which he has dubbed a “jobs budget”, includes a $5 billion budget cut to make up for the deficit. Of that cut, $3.3 billion will come from school funding, which is already hard-pressed for cash due to the state of the economy and previous budget cuts.

School districts across the state expected more budget cuts to pass under Governor Scott’s administration, but not to the level that has been proposed.

Funding per student is expected to be the way, this does not seem likely. dropped by ten percent, or about $700.

In keeping with the theme of a reduced That money could have gone toward the government and enlarged private sector, improvement of school facilities and the Scott hopes to keep a campaign promise restoration of funding for art and athletic to create private jobs. However, this will programs which suffered in the wake of come at the expense of over 8,000 state the recession. workers, including teachers, which will In addition to slashing the state’s cause further harm in addition to the budget, the state also plans to cut taxes. statewide school budget cuts.

In particular, property taxes, which New legislations, such as Senate are a major source of funds for Bill 736, will repeal teacher salaries Florida’s schools. In hindsight, it based on time spent makes little sense to cut taxes when working in favor of there is a budget deficit to make up salaries based on student for. Taxes are a large source of the success on standardized government’s revenue, so with tests. However, with less lower taxes comes lower amounts funding for schools, of money for the government. some districts may However, if taxes were find it difficult to kept at the same level or provide the quality slightly raised, the government of education would have more money to needed to work with and less money generate decent would have to be trimmed from test scores. This the budget. More money consequence essentially negates could have been available any sort of benefit that the system for schools, but with the may have been able to provide. rejection of the halfSchools have endured cent sales tax last blow after blow of budget year and cuts, and the new, illfuture conceived budget is tax essentially only more of illustration by justin moser cuts on the same.

Our view: Students should be grateful for travel opportunites.

Just because the classroom is confined by four walls does not mean a student’s learning should be. Seminole County and Hagerty agree and that is why there are so many opportunities available for students to travel and expand their knowledge.

The jazz band recently traveled to Miami for a state competition; the debate team visited Harvard in Boston both last year and this year to exercise their skills; and the social studies department offers an overseas trip every summer that any student can go on to learn about cultures and lifestyles different from their own.

Not all high school students are provided such extensive travel opportunities, so students should be grateful for the programs available to them. We are not limited to the school campus for learning about material only through books and lectures.

The exposure students who travel get is irreplaceable. The trips they go on offer knowledge that can only be obtained by immersion in an unfamiliar culture. Students should be thankful that their sponsors and administrators so highly value this somewhat unconventional but incredibly effective learning technique.

Students not only meet the people who live in the places they are visiting; they can also develop closer relationships with the very people they go to school with. This lays a foundation for a closeknit community in the classroom after students return home from their trip.

The staff thinks students should take advantage of the chances to learn outside of campus and be grateful for the understanding individuals who make such opportunities possible. Students who do not take advantage will miss out on one of the most rewarding aspects of high school.

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April 8, 2011

students benefit more from dual Back Talk:Do enrollment than from AP classes?

NO

YES

“Unlike AP, the dual enrollment program guarantees students college credit if they pass the classwithout a daunting final exam.”

“AP classes give students who plan on applying to college the opportunity to receive college level work, like dual enrollment, but with better results and efficiency.”

- Sohani Kasireddy

Sohani Kasireddy

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co-news editor s students, we challenge ourselves to better prepare for the future.

However, if we could get a better glimpse of the future rather than a mere simulation, it would benefit us significantly. A glimpse into the future is feasible via the dual enrollment program as opposed to the mere simulation provided by Advanced Placement courses.

One of the most important aspects of the dual enrollment program is that it provides students with a sense of what the college environment will be like. In fact, students in the dual enrollment program have an 86 percent chance of receiving credit for their courses. However, students in AP classes have only a 54 percent of chance of eligibility for college credit according to the Florida legislature.

Although dual enrollment classes expose students to a college environment, their high school experience is not compromised. Students can have shorter school days as they can arrive on the high school campus after the actual school day begins or they can leave campus before the day ends. In this manner, students can still socialize with their peers and participate in high school-related activities such as pep rallies, assemblies etc.

Shorter school days not only allow students to have a healthy high school experience, but they also allot more time for other activities such as sports, extracurricular activities, volunteering and night classes. With AP classes, students do not have this flexibility. They must come in and stay for the entire school day as these classes are incorporated into the high school curriculum. The Florida Department of Education states that there is a greater percent increase in the number of students participating in the dual enrollment program as opposed to the AP program. In addition, 83 percent of these students earn a grade of A, B, or C whereas AP students have a wavering grade range.

Unlike AP, the dual enrollment program guarantees students college credit if they pass the class without a daunting final exam. In contrast, while students can

- Sam Salinas

show stellar performance in an AP course, their eligibility for college credit is dependent upon just a few hours of one day: they must pass the AP exam. This is a disadvantage to poor testtakers. They may be nervous and not do well on the exam, which may keep them from earning a college credit.

Another drawback of AP courses results from the fact that they are still taught in a high school. Consequently, students are more dependent upon the teacher to instruct them. High school courses follow a general pattern in which students learn a few chapters and complete related worksheets or projects, then take a test on the material. A system like this will not prepare students for college. Dual enrollment students have also shown better performance at the college level. Of those students that entered a Florida university, 91.1 percent of their grades were a C or better in their first year because they were better adapted to the college environment.

The knowledge and experience these students can gain comes at no cost to them as tuition and fees for dual enrollment courses are waived—the state of Florida pays for it. Students are excused from registration, matriculation, or laboratory fees for courses taken through dual enrollment. Money is an issue for many students so this chance is definitely one to seize.

Through the dual enrollment program students can take elective courses required for a bachelor’s degree while still in high school. These courses are not offered in the AP program as most AP classes pertain to the core subjects of math, language arts, science and foreign language. Dual enrollment classes offer a wide variety of classes to student; a variety much larger than the spectrum of AP classes.

AP classes were designed to simulate college. But if a student can take the real college course while still in high school, then what is the point of a mere simulation?

Students benefit far more by participating in the dual enrollment program instead of taking AP classes at their high school.

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Tell it like it is

“Yes, with dual enrollment you can get all your credit hours without basing everything on just one test.”

- Brittany Williams, 12 “Yes, you’re in a college environment and you get out of school early.”

- Briana Johnson, 10

Sam Salinas staff reporter o one wants to live in the streets, hungry, without a job, and without a place to call home.

Generally, high school students aspire to achieve their ideal dream. Usually, the first step in that long term process just so happens to be college. One misconception about college is that the best way to get the feel of the true college experience is to actually become a part of it. Dual enrollment, a college level program offered during high school, allows a student to go to a college campus and take one or two classes to acquire college credit.

Students and parents alike automatically assume that the college courses will give them better results since they have been completely integrated into the college experience yet. This is not entirely true. Some forget that there is another option: the Advanced Placement program. AP classes give students who plan on applying to college the opportunity to receive college level work, like dual enrollment, but with better results and efficiency.

Students enrolled in an AP course, or multiple AP courses, do not have to leave campus to get the full effect of college.

Teachers assign, on average, an hour or two of work that pushes students to use more than just a few in-class notes to get their work done. These courses are rigorous and fast-paced as they prepare students for the end of the year AP exam.

While students work, they are surrounded by familiar faces, they can consult and be comfortable with. Age is not an issue, as it could be in dual enrollment. Since AP classes are taught on campus, students only need arrive at school.

In comparison, transportation becomes a big issue for dual enrollment students. Seminole State College does

not provide its high school enrollees any form of transportation. Students are left with the stress of determining how to get from high school to the college campus in time for class. Some students formerly registered with dual enrollment had to drop out for lack of a ride to and from the college. With easy access to AP classes, there really is no reason for the added stress of transportation.

In addition, a survey says that the AP program has better results on both grades in high school and success in college. According to College Board, “the educational outcomes for AP students are significantly stronger than those for dual enrollment students.” College Board, the same group that sponsors and advocates the SAT, believes that the AP program has more benefits than dual enrollment.

Unlike the AP program that requires students to take an end-of-the-year exam, dual enrollment does not have any kind of “standardized assessment to measure and ensure consistency in quality.”

Dan Brugger, a Gifted coordinator, of cdssunrise.com explains that “if you’re looking at going to Harvard, Stanford or Yale, go AP.” And the results are clear: 3250 percent of AP students got a Bachelor’s degree after attending a four-year college, as opposed to the 24 percent of formerly enrolled dual enrollment students. High school grades and grade point averages showed significant discrepancies between AP and dual enrollment students.

Even AP students who only averaged a two on the exam earned a 2.85 college GPA- compared to the 2.66 college GPA achieved by students who had taken dual enrollment. AP students in high school who acquired a qualifying score on the AP exam averaged a 3.3 or higher GPA. Those students in dual enrollment barely grazed the 3.0 GPA line. According to College Board, thsi is one of the most recognized programs involved in college preparation.

Compared to dual enrollment, AP classes are recognized in more colleges and are a part of a national program. With such stark contrast between the two, the decision for the best college prep is clear.

Even College Board would agree.

“No because you don’t have to go to another school and you still get to see your friends.”

- Leo Ayala, 10

“No, AP classes make you look smarter and raise your GPA.” - Gabriel Cotto, 11 “Yes, you get to take college classes and meet new people. You also get experience and a head start.”

- Hugo Tula, 9

“No, you’re still in high school and you’re not used to college. AP teachers go more in-depth.”

- Sabiha Nizam, 12

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Issue 5

sports

Scott’s Say Fans change dynamics of Hagerty sports

Scott Strauss

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co-sports editor

hen Hagerty opened, varsity teams were rare, and varsity wins were rarer. Now, teams have hit their stride, winning games and titles, and fans have gone crazy.

Over the past couple of years, it is unheard of for a student to log onto Facebook and not see a post reporting scores or stats from a game. Seeing posts like this, I can just imagine the poster’s enthusiasm – jumping up and down as their team makes a great play or wins the big game.

Throughout the triumphs and trials of sports at this school, the number of student and community fans have grown, and support for sports grows with each passing season. To the athlete, an increased fan base is motivating, inspiring and exciting.

Since the school’s opening, fan attendance was never an issue.

However, the spirit and excitement was lacking in a time when the sports program needed the support the most.

As the years went on and more students enrolled into the school, the enthusiasm for sports has been on a gradual incline.

Since the beginning of this year, fervor toward athletics has dramatically increased, especially among basketball.

With the basketball team experiencing such unparalleled success this season, a new brand of fan was created, the “Hagerty Hooligans”. These diehards arrived early to every game to secure a spot on the floor to be as close to the action as possible and were always the loudest group in the gym. Not only did this create a more positive atmosphere and more energy among the student section, but their signature t-shirts and rah-rah attitude motivated both players and fans.

Due to the closeness of the fans to the action at basketball games, it has been obvious why the involvement of fans is higher than other sports, where fans are seated behind fences or high in the stands. However, to see the dedication and zeal of fans carry over to other school sports would tremendously improve school spirit.

As the season goes on, so do the fans’ connections with one another. Whether it be holding up a newspaper while the other team is introduced or participating in the roller coaster led by the infamous Ring Leader, fans build relationships with one another through the wins and losses of a season.

While fans certainly bring a unique and fundamental aspect to sporting events, being a fan is a sport all in its own. Whether the team wins or loses, the fans feels similar excitement or disappointment. Those fans that watch the game and take pride in their team, the ones on the floor cheering on individual players and booing the opponents are the true essence of the camaraderie of sports. They show the spirit that a true fan should possess.

The embodiment of how Hagerty sports should be is displayed through the Hooligans, and hopefully their influence will cross over into other sports. Not only does this kind of fan pump up the players, but displays level of pride that a student should have.

photo by jem mason

Veronica Gajownik catches the ball and tags out an opposing player. The team won the game against Lake Howell 5-4.

Softball strikes out opponents Sean Donovan

staff reporter n March 11, the girls softball team successfully completed the 2-0 season sweep against Lake Howell. The team overcame a 4-2 deficit in the sixth inning to win the game 5-4, and the game set the tone for the season.

“We never give up, even if we’re down,” catcher and left fielder Kiley Dechau said.

“We’re always going to come out to play.”

The varsity team is on top of their conference with a 10-2 record and a 16-3 overall record. The only two conference losses were against Lake Brantley, and a conference match against Winter Springs.

Landmark victories on the year include season sweeps of Lake Howell and Oviedo.

“It feels good to finally be on top,” senior catcher Kadieann Tighe said.

“We’ve always been the ‘lower seed’.”

The team’s largest win of the season came at home against Colonial on March 7, in which the team won 21-1. It was

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their best game of the season: their batting many returners, and this has helped them average was .640, compared to the season wins and work toward the playoffs.

The team has overcome many obstacles average .322, and their 14 runs-battedin that game far exceeded their previous from last season, which also includes the shadow of the playoff loss last season. season high of nine.

This season, the team has a new With the arrival of four freshman, they had attitude. They have done their best to make to adapt quickly to the experienced team themselves the best team in the district and many returners had to fill in the shoes of the seniors who and prove themselves had left last season. worthy of the “We never give up, even if As individuals, postseason. Practices we’re down. We’re always the girls are focused have gotten longer and going to come out to play.” on their own are more intense; there -Kiley Dechau improvements. They is some new material at have all hit outside of practices, but some is practice more often still original.

“What we do wrong in a game, we’ll and have adapted to new position changes. do it in practice to get right,” Tighe said.

“We’ve all worked harder,” Castro, “Practices are more constructive.” who has moved to first base from second, Last season, the team owned a record said. “We’re better as a team to make us of 15-11, and the team lost in a district better players, too.” semifinal game against Lake Howell, Collectively, the girls have listened keeping them out of the state playoffs. more to their coaches in order to perform Since last season, however, the team has better in the games and learn the plays.

Water polo drowns the competition Sean Donovan

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staff reporter he boys water polo team has enjoyed their best start ever with an 9-2 record blemished only by losses to Lake Brantley and University respectively. They have placed themselves into the thick of the district playoffs, which start on April 18.

“We’re consistently a strong team in the district and we should look at being district champs this year and maybe going farther than last year,” junior Will Burris said.

Four of the 18 players on the team are seniors. They have displayed key leadership roles throughout the season and have emphasized to the rest of the team to improve so the team can be better known in the community and district. Also, out of the 18 players are eight sophomores, most of which are returners from last season such as Derek Daugherty, Rick Nuskowski and Aaron Hickey, who are vital players to the the team and bring young talent.

Last year, the team managed only one win for the season. Therefore, they did not qualify for the district playoffs. This was a spark for the team to do better this year and prove themselves. Most players who did not return from last season were easily replaced and have also helped out the team.

The attitude of this season is much different than in the past. Because of all the victories, such as the 20-4 win against Gateway or the biggest win of the season against Lake Brantley 29-7. The team grows more excited after every win.

“The best game of the season was probably the Gateway game,” sophomore

photo by DSP

Junior Alex Gatlin is among the top scorers on the team, and is a large reason that the team has been so successful.

Christopher Bracci said. “It was an overall last season because they make up the great game for us.” largest group of the team and have to be This attitude is a product of the constant better prepared for future years. growth that the team has undergone “I see awesome potential for years to throughout the season. Their compatibility come,” Burris said. “Some of our greatest with one another has also led to more players have half or more of their time in triumph in the pool. high school still ahead of them, so I will Many individuals this season had to step definitely be eager in seeing a strong team up, such as senior Anthony Weishampel. at Hagerty for the next few years through The underclassmen also had to rise since hard work and consistency.”

sports

April 8, 2010

page 11

New coach, higher ambitions for girls lax Jacob Calloway

co-sports editor ith a new coach, new captains and new talent, the girls’ lacrosse team has overcome adversity to earn a 5-5 record.

“We are doing well,” senior captain Megan Amend said. “We are learning from our mistakes to not only become better than we were last year but to get progressively better throughout this season.”

Stone hopes to revamp the girls lacrosse program that went 4-8 last year.

“I feel like an artist,” Stone said. “I have an idea of what I want the program to look like in my mind, but others just see the blank canvas; I know it can’t be accomplished with only one stroke of the paintbrush overnight; it takes time, work, and energy, and eventually people will be able to appreciate it once the picture comes to light.”

Stone is not the only one who sees the potential in the team; the players share their coach’s vision.

“We have a more focused team because we know our potential and have higher goals,” junior midfielder Sarah Chambley said. “We want to develop a winning program.”

The girls team has scored 96 goals already this season, an average of 8.7 goals per game. The 15-girl squad has 187 ground ball pickups in their first nine games this year, averaging 20.8 ground balls per game. Both statistics have been an increase from last year.

So far this season, they have won against Lake Howell twice, Seminole, East River and East Ridge.

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“When we put our mind to something and work together we can dominate,” Amend said.

To walk into an already established program and take it over in such a short period of time would be a daunting task for any coach hoping for a successful season, but so far Stone has never been alone in this endeavor.

“The good thing for me is that I’m walking into a great situation with great girls, experienced mentors, and support from parents, administration and especially my wife,” Stone said.

It is never easy to build the trust between from the start. His ability to orchestrate a the team and coach in such a short period team and to make us better is extraordinary.

He knows when of time that that girls to joke around but lacrosse team has, “We have a more focused at the same time, but the girls have team because we know our he knows when to responded with the be serious.” attitude of optimism potential and have higher With only four that Stone brought goals. We want to develop a games left in their with his arrival. winning program” season, the team “We have adapted -Sarah Chambley has the mentality so well [to Coach and ability to be Stone],” Amend said. added to the list “He is an amazing coach and we have all really liked him of sports this year to make it to districts.

photo by DSP

Senior captain Leah Willover faces off against a seminole midfieleer in the team’s 16-5 win over Semionle. Willover won 12 draws and scored two goals in the game, while juniors Erika Huffman and Kaylee Sills put in 6 and 5 goals as well.

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Issue 5

WORKING TO DEATH

lifestyles

Students make sacrifices to work the late shift

most students only average four to five managing editor hours on nights they work.

“Normally on weekdays, I don’t t is 1 a.m. on a Monday and senior Colin Blume is wide awake. Most of get home until 1:30 a.m.,” senior Katie his friends are sleeping, but instead, Leblanc, who works at Buffalo Wild Blume, just getting home from his Wings and Froggers, said. “Then I still job at the UCF Del Taco, takes off his have to do my homework and wake up nametag and uniform, showers, and early to get to school in the morning.”

Some students sits down to do still choose to make homework for the up for their lack of first time that night.

“If I get off at 11 p.m. and sleep at night by Night shifts sleeping through range in hours: the have a test the next day, school. When they dinner shift starts I’m pretty tired and I’m sleep during classes at 5 p.m. and ends smelling like burritos. I’m though, they at 11 p.m. and the not really in the mood to miss lessons and graveyard shift do homework or to study.” classwork. Leblanc goes from midnight -Colin Blume takes naps after to 8 a.m. While school so that she most students who will not have to work during the night work the dinner shift rather make up missed schoolwork.

Workers’ grades also drop because than the graveyard shift, there are some students who are willing to they have little time to do homework. work overnight, like Blume, who has Because students work when most teenagers do homework, they either worked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. before.

Because they work so late, these have to do homework ahead of time students do not get as much sleep or just not do it at all. A proactive as a teenager should. Nine hours of attitude can help in this sleep is generally recommended for situation, but students teenagers. Combined with homework who work during loads and early mornings for school, the day as Robyn Smith

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well cannot do homework earlier.

“If I get off at 11 p.m. and have a test the next day, I’m pretty tired and I’m smelling like burritos,” Blume said. “I’m not really in the mood to do homework or to study.”

While working late certainly affects students’ sleep and grades, most student workers are unhappiest about the late shift’s impact on their personal life. Because they work at night, they cannot do things with their friends.

Blume and Leblanc say they would rather work during the day so they could have nights to do things.

“I wanted to play lacrosse this year, but I can not because of my job,” Leblanc said, “and I can never go to football games and lacrosse games because I always have to work.”

Despite all the problems that come with the night shift, working at night can provide students with funny stories, like a fight or a patron tripping in their

own vomit. Because they work at popular places for college students or at places near clubs, student workers often stay entertained by drunk or rowdy customers. Blume has served customers who have stripped for food and Leblanc has served a drunk and recently released prisoner.

Either way, students appreciate any work they can get, even if it means working unwanted hours. The work they do earns them money which can then pay for college or gas.

“Because of my [situation] right now in my life, I have to work a lot of hours to make a lot of money,” Blume said. “The only way to get the hours needed for my expenses, I have to work the graveyard shift.”

photo graphic by kris ryan illustration from netfreestuff.co.uk