The BluePrint - Volume 14, Issue 2

the

It takes two Seniors Catherine Jackson and Cassidy Smith, who played the female lead roles, Olive (Jackson) and Florence (Smith), perform in a dress rehearsal before opening night of the “Odd Couple.” With separate male and female casts each performing twice over the three days from Nov. 8-10, the female lead got to perform first. photo by Katie McClellan

Homecoming recap Dress up days, talent show, the first ever glow-inthe-dark pep rally... here is a recap of it all. page 3

blueprint Hagerty High School

Volume 13, Issue 2

What’s your sign?

Some look for advice from friends or parents, but others look for advice from the stars. page 11

Nov. 14, 2018

LGBTQ+ community While the LGBTQ+ community can be proud of their identity, societal views can cast a shadow on pride. page 13

Oviedo, Florida

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news

Changes to English curriculum target test scores

SUCCESSFUL SCORES Sophomore Aracely Perez reads an article on Newsela. Her class comes to the media center to complete assignments every week. photo by Lukas Goodwin

Lukas Goodwin

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Staff Reporter

tarting in the second quarter, every Wednesday, underclassman English classes are using instructional programs Achieve 300 and Newsela for reading practice, and Write Score for writing practice. County

and school administrators have implemented these tools to improve students’ FSA scores.

With Write Score, students submit essays that are graded online, and then the results are sent to the English teachers with feedback. With the edits, teachers can then help students focus on improving the missed criteria.

“What is important is making sure these

tools are used effectively enough by the teachers and students,” assistant principal Gisela Cotto said.

In the reading programs Achieve 3000 and Newsela, students are graded on their reading skills by analyzing articles. They receive Lexile scores, a system that measures reading levels.

“As long as the students stay motivated, [these programs] should help boost their test scores,” Cotto said.

Most students do not mind these adjustments to their curriculum. Although they are relatively new and still need to be tested, students like sophomore Ashley Munro believe that the programs have been able to enhance their learning experiences. Munro has already begun to utilize the website Newsela in her classroom.

“I think it is really helpful,” Munro said.

“Plus, it is more interesting, because we get to learn about relevant, modern topics.”

The system still is not perfect, leaving some students wishing there was more to it.

“There are a good selection of articles to read, but I feel like it would be better if there were more to choose from,” Munro said.

Despite these problems, administration acknowledges that these implementations are still new, and they will try to perfect them as much as possible to make the experience easier and more interactive for the students.

“We will eventually regroup and look over the instructional plans,” Cotto said. “We want to figure out where students’ strengths and weaknesses are, so we can help them practice more.”

NEWSELA ~A quick guide~

1

Enter your login information and ensure you are signed up for your class.

Read the article you are assigned.

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2

Highlight and annotate the text as you read.

Complete the assignment by taking a quiz and/or writing a short response to evaluate your comprehension of the article.

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Chaves wins FASLTA award

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SHADES OF BLUE JAZZ CONCERT

NOV 16

CHORUS PERFORMS AT DISNEY

NOV 20

NCAA SIGNING DAY

NOV 27

On Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, band will be performing. Different instrument groups will be performing themed pieces and different school ensembles, such as jazz and concert bands.

On Tuesday, Nov. 20 chorus will be featured as an Honor Choir for Epcot’s Candlelight Processional. These students will perform alongside community and professional choirs as a celebrity narrator retells the Christmas Story to Epcot guests.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27 there will be an NCAA Signing Day occuring in the cafeteria between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Student athletes will commit to various colleges, signing on to their athletic teams as part of the event.

STUDENTS TRAVEL TO EPCOT

On Friday, Nov. 30, students taking AP Spanish and French will go to EPCOT to learn about French and Spanish culture through the interactive attractions at the theme park.

SNHS CAMPUS CLEAN UP

On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Science National Honor society will hold a campus clean-up event. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., students in the group will work to improve and tidy the school, taking time out of their weekend to help the community.

NOV 30

DEC 1

SIGNING AND SINGING Barbara Chaves teaches her ASL II class new signs by incorporating a song. photo by Chatham Farrell

Olivia Gatchev

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Staff Reporter

very year Florida Foreign Language Association picks one teacher from the state to represent each language category because of exceptional work. This year, Barbara Chaves was chosen to represent the Florida American Sign Language Teachers Association.

“I was very surprised, happy and very honored when I found out about the nomination and that I had chosen for this position,” Chaves said.

She said that she never expected to win this award and it is a great honor to even be considered. To receive this award the teacher has to be nominated by a peer, then chosen by a committee who reviewed the application.

This makes it harder to achieve and receive this award. Craig Levett, who is the president elect of FFLA, nominated Chaves.

“The first person I thought of for this years nomination was Mrs. Chaves. She has an exceptional way of teaching and really cares about her students,” Levett said.

Levett wrote an essay explaining Chaves’ rapport with students, her students’ achievement, her involvement in study abroad, her contribution to the language program in her school and district, the expansion of the ASL program, her service to the association, service to other professional organizations, and service at state, regional and national levels.

The fact that Chaves excelled in so many areas showed the committee why she should be honored for her teaching.

Chaves has been teaching for nine years at Hagerty and 20 years total. She teaches ASL II, III and IV to all grades. Chaves’ students share a love for sign language and a love for her.

“I learn a lot in Mrs. Chaves class and actually understand what we are learning. She is a nice person and a great teacher,” sophomore Taylor O’Brien said.

Chaves, like the rest of the ASL department, uses different ways to teach signs, such as making students learn songs, having interesting conversations, and writing the signs in a certain form so that students remember them. She works hard to educate students and this award helps honor her for all of her hard work and dedication.

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news

Video production hosts talent show

DANCING AROUND Freshmen Jennifer Cerrato and Cate Brodsky dance to “A Missy Elliot Tribute.” photo by Faith Marino

Lukas Goodwin

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Staff Reporter

ith the votes of three judges and the chants of the audience junior Eliot Barat won first place at the school talent show with his Chinese Yo-Yo act. It was

hosted by Vangeli Tsompanidis, president of the National Technical Honors Society, to raise funds for Video Production on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Following after Barat was senior Bria McCray in second place, singing “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, and senior Michael McNamara in third, singing “Mack the

Knife” by Bobby Darin.

Many performers had been involved in their talents for years. Sophomores Faith Hammack and Devynn Sunderman, who did a dance duet to the song “Just Live,” have been dancing for years together. They rehearsed for at least a half an hour every day for weeks, in preparation of this performance.

“Things like this help with extra practice and experience,” Hammack said. “It is really fun to be able to show off all of your hard work.”

Such a big event like the talent show was also a big stress inducer for multiple performers, forcing them to tackle stage fright.

“I always get nervous before performing,” senior Samantha Vincent said, who sang “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked.

“But it is a good nervous.”

Other performers like senior Zachary Flores, who sang “I Still Believe” by Mariah Carey, had a harder time dealing with anxiety.

His fears nearly pushed him to not perform.

“I had three nervous breakdowns on Monday, and I had to take some anxiety medications and do deep-breathing exercises before the show,” Flores said. “But by the time I got on stage, I was having a lot of fun.”

Despite any worries or hardships, all of the contestants’ acts went off without a hitch, and by the end of the night they were laughing and dancing together on stage.

“The talent show was great,” Hammack said. “We are really proud of ourselves.”

Top Talent 1. Junior Eliot Barat won first place with his Chinese yo-yo act.

2. Senior Bria McCray won second place by singing “Natural Woman”

by Aretha Franklin.

3. Senior Michael MacNamera won third place by singing “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin. photos by Faith Marino

HOME C OM I N G Pep rally lights up hoco week

Team Bruthers wins dodgeball

Amelia Anthony

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DODGING CHAMPS Evan Myers helped lead team Bruthers advance through the bracket undefeated to claim the gold medal. photo by Faith Marino

Staff Reporter ith a gym covered in string lights, black lights, black lights, a DJ booth, neon glowing homecoming shirts, and cheerleaders passing out glow sticks, the “glow in the dark” pep rally on Oct. 26 was experimental, new, and all out.

Designed as a way to replace the traditional homecoming parade, which was cancelled this year due to safety concerns, the theme was chosen to bring something new and fresh to the routine Friday pep rallies. It featured performances by two dance teams, the senior powder puff cheerleaders, a group of dancing teachers, and junior Eliot Barat, who won this year’s talent show.

“Leadership didn’t want to do a normal pep rally because not everyone enjoys them, so we

“Winning was really unexpected, because we were just goofing around and being ourselves. My favorite part was making a one handed catch,” Alcala said.

After the first round, the losers bracket started with junior Connell Crossan hitting three opponents in a row to help the Juniors defeat Team Water Polo. Team Math also won by knocking out the SGA team. In the loser bracket finals were Team Math and Team Juniors. Both sides claimed their ball hit their opponent first, but in the end the Math team managed to pull out the win.

TIMELESS PEP RALLY Varsity football players watch one of the performances at Friday’s glowin-the-dark pep rally. photo by Faith Marino

Noah Kemper

Staff Reporter n Monday, Oct. 27, homecoming week started with a six on six dodgeball tournament. Eight teams entered the tournament looking to win gold medals: Team SGA, Team Security, Team State Champions (softball team), Team Pooler, (the coaches), Team Bruthers, (baseball), Team Water Polo, Team Juniors and Team Math.

In the first round, Team Security defeated Team Juniors in a close matchup, advancing to the winners bracket. Coach Capp led Team Pooler to a narrow victory by eliminating two opponents and dodging a close head shot. Teams State Champs and the Bruthers also advanced to the bracket including a great dodge by the Bruthers where a teammate did a flip to avoid being hit and eliminated.

The winners bracket started with the Bruthers defeating Team Security with three teammates standing, and Team Pooler barely defeating the state champions with two teammates left standing. The championship match was between the 2-0 Bruthers and the 2-0 Team Pooler. They came out firing. They quickly had to regroup as the Bruthers almost swept them, junior Sergio Alcala caught balls to eliminate three people helping them win the tournament.

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decided on a black light pep rally,” junior Jordan Long, who is in leadership, said. Leadership had been discussing ideas to replace the parade shortly after hearing of its cancellation, but it wasn’t until later that the idea of a black light theme came to life.

Students got neon glowing shirts in their class color with the purchase of a homecoming dance ticket. While the cheer leading squad and coach Terri King planned out what would happen during the rally itself, leadership came together to do all of the technical planning, as well as ensure the safety requirements.

“I thought it was a success because everyone seemed more involved in it then the previous pep rallies, and most people wore the shirts to it,” Long said.

While students were heavily involved in the planning of the pep rally, dozens of teachers also took a role with a choreographed dance routine to viral hits like “Gangnam Style,” “Single Ladies,” and “Hammer Time.” At the end of the routine, as the teachers posed, the lights in the gym cut off as hundreds of glow sticks, shirts, and string lights lit up the space in neon color.

“Friday’s pep rally was by far the best one in HHS history,” history teacher Robin Grenz, who participated in the dance and has been teaching since the school opened, said. “Almost every student I saw Friday commented on how much fun they’d had, and homecoming week was centered around a theme that connected us all.”

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THE

MEET

ARTIST

Alec Alonso

Erika Keast

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news

Storybook Artist

ophomore Erika Keast had a story to tell, a story about who she is. However, it wasn’t told through words, it was through art. Starting around two years ago, Keast started drawing because she had an “affinity for aesthetics.” In simpler terms, Keast enjoyed the way certain art and depictions looked.

She found inspiration in children’s tales such as “Brambly Hedge” and “Peter Rabbit” by illustrators Jill Barklem and Beatrix Potter respectively.

“I’ve really admired the art found in storybooks ever since I was little, especially the attention to detail. They’re also just… cozy looking,” Keast said.

While she enjoys making intricate depictions of characters such as rabbits, Keast does not plan on making this her future, instead she wants to keep her art as something personal. She keeps her pieces in books for the most part, only moving them around if she needs something to reference.

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Candace Ahammer

Graphic Artist

ith depictions of numerous religious figures, the Italian Renaissance was one of the most famous periods of art. It also happens to be senior Alec Alonso’s favorite art era. Alonso, who “can’t remember a time when [he] wasn’t drawing,” has had an appreciation for art that captures the viewer, and makes them feel some type of emotion, something that he tries to recreate in his own work.

“I’ve always loved seeing beautiful things that have the ability to make a person feel something. To be able to make someone feel calm, afraid, or happy is truly a gift,” Alonso said.

Drawing anything and everything, Alonso has experimented with digital design, cartoon characters, abstract, and the scifi genre. His art depicts earthy tones similar to those in the Italian Renaissance. With his art being displayed at upcoming Great Day in the Country, Alonso is particularly excited, especially since he has just recently started taking art seriously.

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Dancer

he gracefulness of the UCF dancers caught on television amazed sophomore Candace Ahammer. Around 5 at the time, Ahammer thought that dancing looked like so much fun. Fast forward, and Ahammer has been a baton twirler, a dancer on the Lawton Chiles Dance Team, and now holds a spot on the JV Unleashed dance team.

This is where she excels; she feels as if she has definitely improved with Coach Diane Hasenbank.

“I think this team had bettered my dancing.

It helped me to use facials more while dancing and push myself.

Coach D always gives tips that help my dancing,” Ahammer said.

She has been dancing for 10 years. Her best achievements include being able to do head springs and second turns.

“I feel really happy since all my hard work is showing and it’s just really fun to perform in front of friends and family,” Ahammer said.

NEWS BRIEFS

CULINARY CATERS HOMECOMING DANCE

TOP TWELVE Twelve select chorus students perform alongside the top in the county. In total, they sang five songs during the concert. photo provided by Millennium Middle School

Chorus performs at All-County

Emily Cosio

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News Editor

n Tuesday, Oct. 20, 12 chorus students traveled to the annual Chorus AllCounty concert and clinic held at Millennium Middle School to perform and hone their skills. This event showcases the talent of the top performers in Seminole County.

“Every performance opportunity provides a unique experience for artists to experience something new,” chorus teacher Victoria Rathbun said. “This develops us as performers and helps us grow in our craft.”

Twelve singers represented the school at the concert: James Bryant, Lainey Butler, Bethany Champlin, Jon Chapel, Max Griffin, Kayden Howell, Adam Johnson, Brandon Lawhorn, Ryan Lishman, Deirdre Meekins, Madison Walker and Avery Watson.

“It was my first time performing at a big chorus event so it was different, but definitely

a lot of fun,” Watson said. “Everyone was so talented.”

The students performed several songs during the concert including Bogoroditse Devo, The Storm is Passing Over, Love is a Rain of Diamonds, When You are Old, and Nyon Nyon.

In order to prepare, students attended two SCPS director-led evening rehearsals, one at Lake Mary High School and the other at Lake Howell High School. They also rehearsed for the entire day before their concert with their assigned clinician, Jason Longtin from the College of Central Florida. Students worked during class time and on their own to ensure they knew the music.

Chorus has many upcoming events including a featured performance as an Honor Choir for Epcot’s Candlelight Processional and the winter concert.

The full concert can be viewed on hagertyjourn.com

Over 1,500 brownies, cupcakes and cookies made in three days may sound like a lot, but not for the school’s culinary classes. Homecoming is a huge event and for the dance on Oct. 27, the culinary classes agreed to provide food, as food was one of the biggest attractions at the homecoming dance. The tables were filled with many different types of pastries with different recipes and designs that each culinary group made.

The students enjoyed preparing and found it to be a fun, interactive thing to do.

CHOIR TO PERFORM AT CANDLELIGHT All choruses, with the exception of the freshman chorus class, were selected to participate at Walt Disney’s Candlelight Processional held at Epcot Nov. 22 through Dec. 30. On Sept. 27, all choirs sent in video submissions and were later re-contacted on Oct. 27 to be in the event. Performing alongside celebrity narrators such as John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, and Whoopi Goldberg, the choirs will take the stage on Nov. 20, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5 at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.

AMBASSADORS REACH OUT TO STUDENTS Introduced in the beginning of August, this student involvement and outreach program, started by Sheila Morens, helps news students find friend groups. In order to get scheduling and other pertinent informative dates out, Student Ambassadors have set up a joint Remind system that includes students both participating in the club as well as those who are new to the school. Students who want to get involved can contact Morens.

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opinions Community colleges deserve respect

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icture this: you are a high school senior, someone asks your plans after graduation; you intend on going to the local community college, but cannot say because you fear the judgment.

That should not be the case. It is serious college decision season for seniors, but the days of looking down upon community colleges are over. More community colleges are transitioning into places that offer the “college experience” while still receiving a prestigious degree.

The two most common reasons that students enroll at community colleges are finances and academics. U.S. News lists in-state tuition at community colleges at about $1000 in contrast to the tens of thousands spent at four-year institution. This is a more affordable option for students who want to save money and avoid debt after they graduate.

Academically, community colleges are a better option for those who may have struggled during their high school years. They offer smaller class sizes of about 30 students and because of this, professors can pay more attention to students and offer them the help they need. Institutions like Seminole State College provide free tutoring centers for students to visit for any subject that they may be having trouble with.

Students who have a job or other commitments that may interfere with their schooling could come to find that attending college part time would be the best choice for them. Scholarships.com writes that community colleges typically offer more night classes and schedule options and often have a lighter workload. Since these schools are more accommodating, it becomes easier to get an education while still taking part in their everyday responsibilities.

The negative stereotype that community colleges are only for “underachievers” needs to stop. Most two-year institutions have transitioned into four-year institutions, and they are creating more transfer programs for students who wanted to save money and get a taste of their desired degree before diving into it at a university.

According to insidehighered.com, 4,000 students transferred to UCF from Valencia last year. Joyce Romano, Valencia’s Vice President for Educational Partnerships, believes the college plays a major part in helping students pursue their desired career while guiding them to four-year institutions.

Aside from the transfer options, some community colleges are also opening up housing for students to give them the “college experience.” They also have clubs like Student Government among others traditional four-year college offerings.

Attending a community college may be the route that is necessary for them, but for some; others, may thrive more at a four-year school. However, community colleges are a smart option that everyone should take seriously. With qualified professors and prestigious degrees, alumni can still come out of these schools with little to any debt and job opportunities ahead.

BARKING

MAD

Barking Mad is a collection of short submissions about things that tick students off around school. If something at school makes you mad, e-mail us at hagertyjourn@gmail.com and it may be featured here.

blue print

The BluePrint is a student-produced 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 (except Hagerty High School for Our Take), the views of Seminole County 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

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the

OUR TAKE

Editor-in-Chief Ahilyn Aguilar Managing Editor Melissa Donovan Online Editor Bryson Turner

News Editor Emily Cosio Lifestyles Editor Jessica Maldonado Sports Editor Michael Gibson

Opinions Editor Katarina Harrison Business Manager Andrea Izaguirre Photographer Chatham Farrell

Staff Reporters Hannah Hadelman Hayden Turner Luke Goodwin Jackie Whiting Sharika Khondaker

Zoey Young Charlotte Mansur Noah Kemper Amelia Anthony Sarah Dreyer Olivia Gatchev

Adviser Brit Taylor Principal Dr. Mary Williams

Pop culture idolizes conflicts

Andrea Izaguirre

Staff Reporter ingo inspired by popular YouTubers like James Charles and Emma Chamberlain include terms such as “Spill sis” and “What’s the tea?”, both referring to the spreading of secrets amongst besties and frenemies. The trend exposes pop culture’s beautification of inappropriately handling situations in order to get the worst reaction possible, as long as the cameras are rolling.

Using terms such as “tea” indicate that spreading the private business of others is something entertaining. Even before it became locally popular, shows and networks have solely devoted content to spreading gossip. Shows such as Entertainment Tonight or TMZ are examples of two broadcasting empires built upon the same principle; destroying the reputations of everyday people and celebrity figures alike is okay as long as the thousands of viewers at home get a good laugh as they heat up their Ramen noodles.

Long before James Charles first appeared in 2015, the modern day secular world appropriated gossip as something to be celebrated in a lighthearted fashion. The truth is, exposing someone else’s personal matters is a disease that society has learned to accept as the norm. Making hasty judgements based on statements that may not even be true has become so integrated that people no longer hesitate before sitting down to hear the latest “tea” on their favorite celebrity or their bestie.

Recently, people have just adopted the trend as something to do in order to spice up everyday affairs, regardless of possible conflicts that may arise.

Pop culture has always favored starting petty drama opposed to confronting people with the truth. It is not surprising that idolizing conflict through encouraging shady behavior has become so trendy, it’s sad. People spend so much time worrying over who said what that they forget to question whether or not what they’ve heard is even true. Friendships descend into hatred over a few words that can easily be misconstrued due to today’s lenient nature with gossip.

At the end of the day it is better to keep the conflict right where it belongs; in front of the cameras at TMZ and James Charles’ house, and out of everyday life.

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“I feel like a lot of students at Hagerty aren’t aware of where their trash goes when they just throw it on the ground at school and that a lot of the work the janitors do goes unnoticed.”

- Hailey Hazelwood, 11 “I don’t like how we can’t go to our cars during the day in case we forget something.”

- Gabriella Neris, 12 “I hate the block scheduling ” - Grace Stoner, 11

Spilling the “Tea” with stats 67% of women’s conversations

80% of our conversations are spent on discussing other people and their habits

55% of men’s

conversations are gossip While we love exchanging juicy tidbits of personal info, only about 5% of gossip is malicious.

Statistics from the New York Daily News.

“I would say the only thing that I don’t like about the school is people being loud or obnoxious in the hallways ” - LeeAnn Andrews, 9

“I hate how some teachers are so stubborn about make up work, like ‘Do you want to see me next year?’”

- Alyssa Gaytan, 11

“I hate the vanity. Everyone tries to impress each other too much.”

- Jose Fuentes, 12

“Not allowing us to use the email features on Google Drive or eCampus apart from pre-approved email addresses.”

- Madison Garrett, 11

“Teachers are hard to contact when you need to ask questions.

In class they have to get through the whole lesson, and they’re always busy grading work. ” - Celeste Dixon, 10

“Teachers assign a lot homework as if students don’t have any other classes or homework.”

- Jayden Sherfield, 10

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opinions

Q

“Should I be taking a lot of AP classes? I feel like I could handle the workload, but I’m scared it’s going to stress me out.”

Aching arts The arts are so

A

amazing $34565 million

llustration by Amelia Anthony

Aching arts need support Charlotte Mansur

Staff Reporter

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icture Sam Momary stadium filled. Teachers and students alike all crowding in ready for the event to begin. The stadium lights shine brightly and the concession stand is bustling. Everyone’s attention is directed toward the field as the announcer introduces the team.

Now imagine that this was not your run of the mill football game, but in fact a school choir concert. This is hard to picture, because the truth of the matter is, not many people appreciate Hagerty’s arts as much as they should.

This year chorus groups were invited to Disney’s Candlelight Procession as an honor choir. Not only this, but they just recently sent eight members of their choir to Seminole All County choir.

These are remarkable achievements, but only parents seem to go to their concerts. Choir can’t fill the auditorium, let alone a football stadium. Thanks to a generous community, the arts here are well funded and thriving, something that he school takes for granted.

Underfunding arts is a national problem. After the recession many school districts were forced to cut down or even eliminate their schools’ art programs, and funding has stayed relatively the same since. According to dosomething.org federal funding for the arts and humanities in education is around $250 million a year, while the National Science Foundation is given almost $5 billion.

Art programs like theater, dance and chorus encourage refining students skills while working toward a common goal, creating artists that have better critical thinking skills and an ability to adapt to new things. When schools cannot support

Arts in schools

Since 2008, over 80% of American school districts have faced budget cuts on arts programs. edufundingpartners.com

Advice Column

themselves, their arts suffer.

New World is a prestigious art-based high school located in the Miami area. Many famous alumni have come from this school including Alex Lacamore the musical director and orchestrator of “Hamilton” the Broadway Musical. After recent art cuts from the state legislature this year New World is not only experiencing hardships, but it could potentially shut down.

Luckily, many of our art programs have boosters or fundraisers that bring in enough income to support themselves, but boosters pull out and fundraisers flop. Imagine if Hagerty didn’t have their seasonal plays, or the fire dance performances at pep rallies. Sets, music, choreography, it all costs money and isn’t cheap. Students still have to pay fees in order to be apart of the arts. Chorus, Band, Dance and Culinary all require fees anywhere from $50-$300 a year sometimes more taking into account uniforms and instruments.

Taking arts for granted would be a mistake. Art students put a lot of time into what they produce. Band students spend up to six hours a week practicing for their halftime show. That is more than most high school students sleep a night. This of course is in addition to the one to two periods of band that they already take each day. Something with that much effort put into it should be appreciated.

Having an art program as wonderful as ours is something the school should be proud of. There are a bunch of programs you can support this winter, including the Rhapsody and Blue concert the seventh of December. It’s a combination of band and chorus as well as some other arts. Chorus will also perform in a winter concert on Dec. 11. Consider it your tasting platter of the arts. Pick what you like and and stick with it. There are plenty of opportunities to get out there and support the arts.

In 2012, public school funding for dance and theater programs dropped from 20% to 3-4%, respectively. the74million.org

In Music comprehension, students score an average of 147 out of 300 points on the 2016 National Assessment of Educational Progress. dailytitan.com

AP classes can be grueling with the amount of work they assign, and often it can be a death sentence to try and tackle more than a couple per year.

AP’s are college-level classes, and if students are not prepared for the workload, then they can quickly become overwhelmed.

It is important to know your limits and adhere to them. Even if you even have the smallest voice in the back of your head telling you that taking five AP classes next year probably is not the smartest idea, then listen to that voice.

If you are still unsure about which AP classes to take, talk to your current teachers or even seniors and graduates that know the best path to take from personal experience.

You can also speak with other AP teachers like History Teacher Dali Stires or English teacher Samantha Richardson, who could help provide plenty of insight.

Richardson stresses that it is important to find a balance in your workload, and that even if you are fully capable of handling AP classes, you should focus on yourself and your mental health.

Q

“How do I organize my schoolwork and balance it with my social life without getting stressed and overwhelmed all the time?”

A

Prioritize! Doing your best is important until it becomes detrimental to your health.

The most important thing to remember is to keep yourself on a schedule and prioritize everything you work on.

Block out time to work, study and learn, doing your most important and time sensitive assignments first. Find ways to make studying fun, like listening to new music, changing up where you study or working with friends. Write everything down and keep a detailed planner so you always know what’s due and what to work on first, but don’t forget to make time to break the studying monotony as well. Make plans!

Procrastinating is harder if you have an outing to look forward to or if you’re working with people you know can help keep you on track. It’s easy to feel like you can get behind by wasting time to purposefully not study, but it’s important to recognize how learning how to balance your life can help you thrive.

Have a question for the Advice Column? Send us an e-mail at hagertyjourn@gmail.com

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entertainment

Hopping on the shopping train Sharika Khondaker

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Staff Reporter

hen freshman Charissa Thompson was in fifth grade, she really wanted to buy a Vera Bradley backpack on Black Friday. She had saved her money all year and waited outside of Dillard’s for three hours to get her backpack. When they opened the doors, she sprinted inside, even shoving someone in the rush. Thompson had even gone to Dillard’s the day before to hide the backpack so that she could secure it before anyone else got to it.

“It wasn’t worth the amount I had to wait for it, I never use the backpack anymore,” Thompson said.

Black Friday shopping can be hectic, with all the pushing and shoving and long lines.

One trend is to skip the stores and shop online instead. Out of 39 people surveyed, 55 percent said they would shop online this Black Friday.

With the increase in technology coming out, shopping online has become more accessible.

According to statista.com, 44 percent of teens prefer using Amazon rather over other online retailer. In the school survey, 83 percent of them said that they use Amazon.

History teacher Erin Foley travelled to Russia this summer, and she was worried that there wouldn’t be certain things there that Americans are already used to. So she went to Amazon and typed in “travel a..” and let Amazon wautofill it. She ended up buying clothes hangers, a clothesline, a hot water heater, and a coffee press.

“I was the hero in numerous occasions, because people were getting sick and needed hot water, I was able to make hot coffee every morning, and I used the clothesline to dry my clothes since the hotel didn’t have a dryer,” Foley said.

With the rise of online retailers like Amazon, retail stores across the nation have closed.

Many of the biggest brands that were popular several years ago, such as Macy’s, Claire’s, and Kmart have been forced to close down some of their stores after losing revenue to online retail. According to Fung Global Retail and Technology, in 2017 alone, over 6,700 stores made plans to close their doors.

Despite increased use of online stores, there are still problems that need to be fixed, especially with clothing. Many people refuse to buy clothing online due to the level of uncertainty that comes with it. Sometimes,

BROWSING AMAZON Sophomore Jolie Miller looks on Amazon for capes for the robotics team.

They use capes as part of their uniform during competitions. photo by Sharika Khondaker

the sizing is an issue, or the product does not look like the online picture. Not only does this happen with clothing, but it also happens with other items, like accessories online. Sophomore Mizbah Ateeq has had trouble with an online purchase.

“I once ordered a necklace online and when it came, it looked nothing like what I expected it to. It looked so much better online and it felt like I was being ripped off,” Ateeq said.

Netflix Original: “Best Worst Weekend Ever”

“A Legendary Christmas” by John Legend

Trying to maximize their last weekend before high school, Zed (Sam Arnold) and his friends want to attend a comic convention. However, many obstacles will get in their way, putting their friendship to the test.

This show reminded me of Netflix Originals before they were decent, like the cringey shows your 11 year old brother watches. The acting was not the best, but the actors did what they could with the awful script. Not to mention there were many cheesy ‘stunts’ that made the plot that much worse. For example, in one scene, one charecter fell through the ceiling of a house. There are so many other amazing Netflix Original shows that I wouldn’t waste a second on this one.

Released on Oct. 26, John Legend dropped his Christmas album, “A Legendary Christmas.” Covering classic Christmas songs, such as “Christmas Time is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Purple Snowflake” by Marvin Gaye, Legend puts a modern twist on them.

Legend does a fantastic job of modernizing the songs to fit with the type of music most people listen to today. The songs on the album have a good beat and melody to them. Overall, they are great listens to get into the Christmas spirit and mood.

- Sharika Khondaker

- Emily Cosio

“Christmas is Here” by Pentatonix Pentatonix’s new album, ‘Christmas is Here!’ is the best holiday album of the season. This festive and cheerful collection of Christmas songs contains everything from classics, like ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ to pop hits, like ‘Sweater Weather’. Holding together this vast range of styles and songs is Pentatonix’s signature acoustic voices that bring warmth to your heart. Listeners are left with a distinct sense of holiday spirit.

Although released relatively early on Oct. 26, this album is sure to make listeners feel like Christmas has come early.

-Emily Cosio

Netflix Original: “Daredevil” Season 3

Netflix Original: “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”

With breathtaking cinematography, a well-written plot, and a cat named Salem to boot, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is your next Netflix show.

Released on Oct. 26, it follows the storyline of a teenage witch-human hybrid as Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) Paired with blurry, foggy montages and various demons, the show was a spooky, fun watch and audiences should be excited for the next season.

- Zoey Young

Over a year since he nearly died in The Over a year since he nearly died in The Defenders, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) returns for a third season of his solo series, Daredevil. The biggest strength of this show lies in its characters.

While newer characters are all expertly introduced, developed, and utilized in the main story, it’s still Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) that steals the show. Armed with Daredevil’s secret identity and a desire to reunite with fugitive girlfriend, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), his status as one of the best villains in superhero television became even more difficult to ignore. If Luke Cage and Iron Fist have shaken your faith in Marvel’s Netflix Originals, the show that started it all should restore it.

- Bryson Turner

While there are pros and cons to each side, many teenagers use a combination of both. In fact, 48 percent of people said that they prefer shopping both online and in-store.

“If you have a lot of time and you’re looking for something special, in store is better because you can try things on and see how it looks in person. However, online shopping is easier, more convenient and usually cheaper,” sophomore Meg Carlson said.

REVIEW BOX Netflix Original: “The Holiday Calendar”

Released Nov. 2 on Netflix, “The Holiday Calendar” follows main character Abby (Kat Graham), apspiring to be a photographer, just like her best friend Josh (Quincy). Due to a magical advent calendar, Abby goes on a journey throughout December. While the movie did closely follow the same basic formula as holiday movies, and was a little bit cheesy, it would be a great movie to watch late at night close to Christmas. Overall, it was a cute movie and the plot was interesting.

-Sharika Khondaker

Amazon Prime:

“Love Me Now” by Tory Lanez Debuted on Oct 26, “Love Me Now” was an autotuned, repetitive mess. Tory Lanez utilizes the same beats found in some hundred rap songs to mask his vulgar lyrics. Lanez sings about “flexing” on a certain ex with all of his accomplishments, as well as referring to past loves as certain derogatory names.

These misogynist lyrics show me nothing, and almost bore the audience. “Love MeNow” was a waste; it was uninteresting, and did not have a good sound or meaningful lyrics.

- Zoey Young

“Homecoming”

Amazon Prime’s latest drama, “Homecoming’s” main selling point is its unique cinematography from Sam Esmail, known for creating and directing USA Network’s “Mr. Robot.” The visuals themselves don’t just depict the stories, they are part of the story. The stylistic camerawork is complemented by a very engaging mystery plotline that hooks audiences in from episode 1 and great performances. Already renewed for a second season, “Homecoming” is an entertaining show to binge watch over a weekend.

- Bryson Turner

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE Basilo pursues Japanese culture Jessica Maldonado

Lifestyles Editor s manager of the Japanese EPCOT pavilion, interacting with people who were born and raised in Japan, and learning Japanese to give a full Japanese experience to her guests, food service manager Erin Basilo has a past not many people would guess.

“I enjoyed interacting with my guests, and the pleasure of me being able to make them feel either at home or make them feel as if they were in Japan,” Basilo said.

Basilo worked for eight years as a manager for the international company Mitukoshi, in the Japanese pavilion in Walt Disney. She was in charge of multiple restaurants: Katsura Grill, Tokyo Dining and Teppan Edo. As the leader, she would supervise restaurant operations, serving styles and over 100 employees.

“One of the hardest things was the communication barrier,” Basilo said. “Every six months I would get new employees from Japan so I had to learn how to communicate with them just as much as they had to learn how to communicate with me.”

Even today, her Japanese is not perfect, especially after not using it for seven years.

A

However, Basilo, was able to learn it be emerging herself into the culture.

“It was a very slow process, but because I was there all of the time, it became a habit, and I was able to learn it enough to where I can communicate with others,” Basilo said.

Although the job made her feel in her “own place,” Basilo had to leave her job due to lack of breaks given. Basilo has three kids at home, two of them who attend Hagerty and one who is in sixth grade at Lawton Chiles.

“I missed a lot of their lives,” Basilo said. “I had no set days off, no set hours, I had to beg just to get Christmas Day off and that was the only holiday I had. I was never with my family.”

That is the reason she led, and started working at the school as food service manager seven years ago. She gets to see her kids every day, interacts with other students, and has free time to do other hobbies like working out.

“When I was out working in the Pavilion, I loved working with the guests and the students are my guests now - it’s what I thrive off of,” Basilo said.

With a job that gives her more breaks and holidays, Basilo is now able to spend time with her family and work out at a four-week outdoor group fitness program called Camp Gladiator.

ERIN BASILO loyee p m e l a n io t c stru “I won non in ear” his y of the year t l Castro e u ig M n ia d o - cust

“I lived in G four years b to Ov - bookkeepe

Benoit dances her days away Melissa Donovan

“L

Assistant Editor

et me teach you how to dance.”

That is what custodian Vanessa Benoit’s sister said to her two years ago at a family member’s birthday party. And those words have changed her life.

“I feel good when I’m dancing,” Benoit said. “I get happy when I hear the rhythm of the songs.”

She primarily dances bachata, a dance originated in the Dominican Republic, along with her mom, sister and cousin. Their new normal at family events like birthday parties or Christmas, is to play bachata music and dance.

It took her about three months to fully grasp the movements and steps.

“It did take some time to feel comfortable dancing, I had to practice some more with my sister for a little,” Benoit said. “[At first] some of the steps were hard, but now I am better at it.”

So far, bachata is the only dance that she knows, but she is open to learn other styles like salsa. However, she would teach herself the steps and the technique of the dance because no one in her family knows much about salsa.

They only dance together at home and she has never really considered pursuing it in a studio. If she did, it would have to be with her family.

Two years ago, around the same time that

she began dancing, she got a job as a custodian.

She was working at Macy’s in the mall for a while until it closed. Once that ended, she looked for a job at her alma mater, Hagerty.

All of the custodians have parts of the school that is theirs to clean. Her assigned area is upstairs building six. There, she cleans the bathrooms and dusts and disinfects all of the classrooms. While some people on her staff have the day shift, Benoit works from 2:30 to 11 p.m., but if she finishes early, she can get off around 9.

She likes to keep everything clean, but sometimes, large messes cannot be avoided.

“The craziest one I have had to clean up was pee on the bathroom floor,” Benoit said.

Aside from making things clean, her favorite part of the job is meeting people from other cultures. Growing up in the Dominican Republic , she enjoys discovering more and more about not only the American culture but also those of her co-workers. She has met people from Colombia and Cuba like fellow custodian, Miguel Castro.

Benoit and her family incorporate their culture in their everyday lives not only through dance, but also through food. Her favorite meal that they cook together is “mangu” which is mashed green plantains.

Her schedule working as a custodian, allows her to have time to do some of her most cherished things: enjoy being with her family, celebrate her culture, and meet new people.

VANESSA BENOIT

“I love everything hiking at least thr -cafeteria wo

Germany for before moving viedo.” er Missy Clark

outdoors, and I go ree times a week.” orker Maria Guzman

Mary Cullen flies airplanes to celebrate Hannah Hadelman

“O MARY CULLEN “I am curr ently gett ing m degree in school cou y masters nseling an graduate d in the spri ng.”

-secretary Erika Rod riguez

Staff Reporter

n my final leg home it started to storm. I had to fly around it, causing me to deviate from my flight plan and for a slight moment or two, I panicked,” student services secretary Mary Cullen said.

“But I pulled myself together, got on the radio to update my route and my estimated time of arrival and made it home with just enough fuel.”

Cullen is one of the Student Services secretaries at the school. Before she became a secretary, she enjoyed flying and still does. After graduating from high school in 1979, Cullen earned her private pilot license while attending community college. She spent all of her free time at the airport and co-piloted transporting planes out of state. Despite loving this hobby, reality set in and she realized she had to get a “real job” because flying is a very expensive pastime.

“Although my license has long since expired, I still enjoy flying, with an instructor of course, to mark my milestone birthdays,” Cullen said.

“My husband thinks I’m crazy, he hates flying.”

Cullen having her private pilot license is one of the many things that people do not really know about. When someone says behind the scenes, people think of a movie set or theater show.

But there is a behind the scenes to everything, including Hagerty.

During the school year, Cullen works with students with last names N-Z and all of the ESE and ESOL students. The other Student Services secretary, Erika Rodriguez, takes care of the rest of the alphabet. Over summer, Cullen takes care of all students.

The job consists of working with new registrations and withdrawals, records requests, scheduling student/teacher/parent conferences, helping with graduation, assisting counselors as needed and other duties as assigned by principal Mary Williams and assistant principal Jesse Walker. Her typical day includes a little of all of these and other small, related activities.

Prior to coming to Hagerty, Cullen worked at AT&T as a systems administrator. She started volunteering when the school opened in 2005, and in January of 2008, Cullen got on the payroll as a technical assistant in the media center. She has been working here since.

“My first job was working with Mrs. Dickison, and at the time the school was still very small as far as staff and students, so everyone knew each other,” Cullen said.

Even though working an office job may not seem exciting, Cullen has had some exciting days. Once, a student brought an armadillo to school in his backpack and let it loose in the cafeteria.

Her favorite part of her job, not including the armadillo incident, is helping students.

“I love working at Hagerty,” Cullen said.

“I live in the community, so I very much want [the school] to remain the top high school in Seminole County.”

Even though there are guidance secretaries, attendance secretaries, student services secretaries and an executive secretary, Cullen believes that there is no difference between the variations of secretaries.

“Other than what we are assigned to do, we all are hardworking, dedicated people,” Cullen said.

Rodriguez works as after-school artist Ahilyn Aguilar

E

JOANIE RODRIGUES

Editor-in-Chief

veryone has seen it. The big husky drawing staring at you as you walk past.

Although it is the first thing students notice when they enter the weightlifting room, they don’t know who painted it. But, what if the artist was someone all students have seen before? Someone like FTE Clerk Joanie Rodriguez.

Rodriguez started when she was 5, with her aunt teaching her how to draw a Mickey Mouse.

From there, she became a pro at drawing Disney characters which later transitioned into drawing more complex things like architectures.

“While I was drawing Disney characters, I started to learn how to copy something I was looking at into a paper drawing and it progressed from there. I also started taking different art classes in middle school and in high school,” Rodriguez said.

Although Rodriguez prefers drawing architectural art, she also started challenging her skills by painting on walls. Her first mural painting was the husky in the weightlifting room, requested by the weightlifting coach, David Attaway. Due to a malfunction of the machine that helps her reach the top of the drawing, Rodriguez was not able to finish the drawing. However, she does plan on finishing it during Thanksgiving break.

Although neither the drawing didn’t come out as expected, Rodriguez was still encouraged to continue drawing murals.

“After that drawing, I started to gain more

experience and decided to take part in a project for my church that involved painting murals. It was a huge project but I was able to finish it,” Rodriguez said.

While Rodriguez still draws, she started new hobby during the summer; off-trail mountain biking. Throughout her childhood, she spent time camping with her family where she used to ride bikes through trails. However, after the tradition wore out, Rodriguez was still interested in riding through trails, but never pursued it.

But, after one of her friends started to mountain bike, she was motivated to buy a mountain bike, and try it out with him.

“I’ve always wanted a mountain bike, and I’ve also wanted to go back to biking through the woods because I remember it being so fun,” Rodriguez said.

“Then my friend got one and I saw that he went all by himself, so I decided to finally buy a mountain bike.”

Rodriguez became the FTE Clerk in 2015.

Before this though, she worked for a staffing agency, Aerotek, in Miami. As the FTE Clerk, some of Rodriguez’s responsibilities include, the management of all reports from Florida’s Department of Education, ensure that all students including ESOL, Gifted, ESE and Special Education kids are accounted for and places them in their appropriate classes, programs or services.

“I love it here because everyone is a team so it makes it easy to come into work and do my job,” Rodriguez said. “The staff is so supportive, which is something hard to find,” Rodriguez said.

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Ballot Barrage Bryson Turner

T

Online Editor

hough she could not vote herself, Young Republicans club president Grace Maddron has spent many hours this election season ensuring that others did.

“I would tell them to vote for the people that can’t,” Maddron said. “We live in a free country where you’re given the opportunity to vote, and everyone needs to take advantage when they’re able to.”

Although a midterm election, which caused lower turnouts in past elections, CBS News reported that 49 percent of eligible voters participated nationwide, up from 36.4 percent four years ago.

A similar increase was seen locally. According to the Orlando Sentinel, 201,018 of Seminole County voters, about 66 percent of the eligible population, went to the polls, up from 55 percent in 2014.

Maddron attributes this higher turnout to both the various PSAs that have been released on the internet, particularly before YouTube videos, as well as the volunteer work, like what she has done with the Young Republicans. This work primarily consisted of canvassing, which, in partnership with the Seminole County GOP, involved groups of students walking door to door to remind residents about the upcoming election.

“The main goal is to get people out there telling them that you want them to go vote,” Maddron said.

Young Democrat club president Alexis O’Brien is one of the 201,018 who voted in Seminole County. She went for the first

time and voted early with her mother. When she confirmed she was a first-time voter to one of the poll workers, they rang a bell and the entire polling place erupted into a round of applause to congratulate her.

“It’s a positive experience,” O’Brien said. “I don’t know why more people don’t do it.”

O’Brien is part of the 16 percent of seniors who voted in this year’s midterm, a large number considering 74.8 percent were still not old enough to register.

Despite this, there are still seniors like Sam Thompson, who make up the 9.2 percent of the Class of 2019 who are eligible to vote but decided not to.

“Voting is not a priority to me, and I don’t think it ever will be,” Thompson said.

However, considering midterm elections have been low turnout affairs in recent times, it seems people like Thompson are beginning to decrease, and Sarah Cooke, who also voted for the first time this election, hopes that this new increase in political awareness will put more spotlight on local elections.

“Local elections are the stepping stones to major ones,” Cooke said. “They’re all important.”

With politically motivated acts, not to mention politics itself, making headlines as often as the Kardashians, and the two major parties being more divided than ever, O’Brien channels this election cycle’s PSAs. “Even if the official you’re voting for isn’t elected, you still have to have that voice in the government,” O’Brien said. “No matter who you vote for, it’s important that every American to have that voice.”

Voter ParticiPation Graphic by Andrea Izaguirre Statistics from Focus Pointe Global

Vote reason (by age) 2014 voter participation

lifestyles

What went down on election night?

Senate

Rick Scott 50.2%

Bill Nelson 49.8%

Governor

Ron DeSantis 49.7%

Andrew Gillum 49.0%

On election night, Republican Ron DeSantis appeared to defeat Democrat Andrew Gillum, and Republican Rick Scott looked to have unseated Democrat Bill Nelson.

However, both margins of victory were less than 0.5 percentage points, so automatic machine recounts were ordered, as required by state law. The recounted votes are due to the state by Nov. 15.

If the machine recount comes within 0.25 percentage points, a manual recount will then be ordered. Those votes are due to the state by Nov. 18.

Then, on Nov. 20, current Gov. Rick Scott and two members of the state cabinet of Scott’s choosing – will meet to make the results official.

U.S. House District 7

rates in seminole county

Stephanie Murphy 57.7%

Mike Miller 42.3%

Democrat Stephanie Murphy retained her District 7 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after defeating Republican Mike Miller.

Florida’s voter registration (by age) 2018 voter participation rates in seminole county

Amendment Results

All of the proposed amendments on the ballot passed barring Amendment 1 which needed a 60 percent “Yes” to pass.

Measures passed included: • Amendment 4, which restored non-violent felons’ voting rights once they have served their time.

• Amendment 9, which banned offshore drilling and vaping indoors.

• Amendment 13, which will ban greyhound racing by 2020.

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Looking to the StARS

YouR novembeR hoRoScope

According to timesnownews.com Your November Horoscope According to timesnownews.com

Aries: March 21 - April 19

Keep a conciliatory and solutionoriented approach, this month.

Whatever issues you have been facing – it would be best to stay open-minded and approach them with a positive mind. If you can handle them and move ahead with them – great – and if not, well, time is the best healer.

Gemini: May 21 - June 20 You may be surprised or hurt by someone’s unexpected behaviour or stance. Illusions are likely, so stay guarded. At home, discontent and disconnect may leave you dazed; try to settle the matters amicably. Be the big-hearted, forgiving one in your precious equations.

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22

Katarina Harrison

W

Opinions Editor

hen sophomore Claudia Allocca opens her social media, she is greeted with more than the typical posts from her friends and celebrity gossip. Sprinkled into the mix, Allocca finds something a bit more profound: bits of information, advice and predictions provided for her by one of the daily horoscope accounts that she follows. While she sometimes finds the accounts “dramatic”, she also claims that “most of them actually match your personality.”

Alloca is not alone in her fascination. The movement of the stars has fascinated people for thousands of years, spawning hundreds of theories about the effects of these astrological phenomenons. Among the most popular of these theories is the idea of horoscopes and zodiac signs, which theorize that the position of the stars and planets at the time of your birth can affect personality and life events. According to Astrology.co.uk, 25 percent of Americans believe in astrology to some extent.

Students are no exception, and they have found comfort, interest or strength in these phenomena.

“I change my mentality depending on my horoscope,” Emalin Priore said. “It gives me a better outlook on life and helps me go down the right path.”

The basic premise of horoscopes is that human behavior and experience can be predicted based on the stars. Often horoscopes rely on zodiac signs based on a person’s birthday to distinguish their predictions. Horoscopes can range from short statement of personality to predictions about what events will transpire.

Reasons for turning to horoscopes are as varied as students themselves. While some look only for entertainment, others take the words to heart, finding meaning and understanding in

the predictions.

For Kate Schuck, horoscopes and zodiac signs were simply a way to connect with a friend who was deeply interested in the subject.

“Before he got me interested, I never checked. I didn’t even know what my zodiac sign was,” Schuck said.

Ever since becoming friends with this kids, Schuck has taken an interest in her horoscope. While she does not spend all her time reading about astrology, her interest in the subject had persisted despite her friend’s graduation. Ever since he gained her interest with a fancy book explaining astrology, Schuck has checked her horoscope independently about once a month.

Others turn to zodiac signs in times of need. Priore started reading her horoscope about a year ago, when she “felt lost in life.” For many, the idea that stars play a role in determining fate can be comforting, and the relatability of the words can make them feel understood or make their attitude and feelings seem normal.

“It helped me figure out why I get certain ways, and how to prevent feeling worse.” Priore said.

Horoscopes need not be believed to be a part of a person’s life. Many people read their horoscope merely for entertainment.

This is made simple by the widespread use of technology. Rather than seeking advice from those who know how to read the stars or waiting for a newspaper to give them a prediction, curious students need only check their social media accounts to receive instant horoscopes. Students such as Alloca have no need to buy expensive books and materials or even open up a physical newspaper to receive updates on their horoscope.

This technological gap may be the reason that an increasing number of young people and those of the newer generations are turning to horoscopes. According to the National Science foundation, the number of people who believe horoscopes have at least some scientific merit is higher than it has been since 1983. Until recently, this number decreased as time passed, but there has been a recent uptick in belief and following of these zodiac signs in recent years.

Value long-term gains and intangible, humane benefits over quick, material albeit momentary profits, tell you the stars. Review your current lifestyle, and make the needed changes. Go slow, as you may land into trouble; don’t trust anyone new. Rest assured, though, as the month ends on a happy note.

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22

You will be out spoken, but not very confident. But, you realize how important it is to explain your ideas effectively. Delays and setbacks are likely, but carry on relentlessly. In personal realm, things are not easy. Panic not; all you need to do is be patient!

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec

Taurus: April 20 - May 20 Students looking for an employment opportunity to add to their pocket money are advised to stop neglecting their studies; complete your education first! Love, electric physical chemistry and maddening attraction light up your life, as the month ends.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22 Be strong and tenacious, and don’t let anyone’s harsh behavior or comments bog you down.

Have confidence in yourself, and those you truly matter! Expect good tidings in education, romance, creative activities and skillbuilding. You are thinking about a home improvement project. Good going.

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22 Spotlight falls on your heart and house. Think positive, wish positive! Health remains good, and the home turf brings you happiness. However, don’t jump on every new opportunity that comes along. Plan your finances with a long-term perspective.

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21 Careful! Do not abandon your fitness plans. As the month ends, you wish to indulge yourself. Hit

by Cupid’s arrows, you wish to spend time in the close company of a special one. In relationships and family equations, be candid and clear – but also polite and tactful. Misunderstandings are likely.

Work on personal growth and skill enhancement. At home, take some time to spend with your younger siblings or cousins. An old relation may come to the forefront, or you may question the integrity and Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 commitment level in a certain The month begins on a happy note, bond. You may not be getting due mostly thanks to your personal support from your near ones. dedication and concerted efforts to keep everything in top shape.

Your financial health remains sound; you remain attentive to the needs and aspirations of partners, Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 younger ones and siblings. You can Ones studying must do their best look forward to a great time at the to devote ample time to revision. personal front, too.

There is a likelihood of your missing out on an important point, or making errors; double check.

If you have been contemplating Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20 buying a new gadget, this is not At the moment, you may be the right time. In relationships, in some discomfort, given the communicate your issues and ongoing issues in your personal listen to your partner. life. A plenty of cosmic drama ensues in coming few days. Don’t feel so hurt. Give the other person a chance to explain. You will be inspired, brimming with hope.

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lifestyles

New Wave of beats

THE WAVER Senior Nasir Roberts and juniors Josiah Wright and Traevis Saint Louis practice dance moves after school. The Waver is one of their special moves and is dangerous to perform. photo by Sarah Dreyer

Sarah Dreyer

I

Staff Reporter

t is a Friday during lunch, the day of a home game. The DJ is there, playing today’s HipHop music. Spotted near the DJ Booth, seniors Nasir Roberts and Marc Penn, and juniors Josiah Wright and Traevis Saint Louis take advantage of lunch to show off their dance moves along with other dancers. They met through dancing yet they became interested in dance at different times.

For the eighth grade talent show, Roberts and his friend were supposed to rap, but he bailed on Roberts at the last minute. Having nothing else planned and desperate, he resorted to dancing, watching Dubstep videos and learning how to move his feet with the beat.

At the talent show, he placed second. Ever since the talent show, Roberts uses dancing in a therapeutic way.

“Whenever I’m sad, it’s something that I do,” Roberts said. “I want to get good at it so, one day, I can actually make it into something I can do for a living.”

Dancing since he was 4, Wright started by

imitating Michael Jackson’s moves, ranging from “Beat It” to “Thriller.” He stopped dancing for a short period of time during middle school, but then started it up again in high school.

“It’s a way of expressing yourself,” Wright said.

Saint Louis’ interest of dancing came about during his transition from elementary school to middle school when he was bored and started playing music, moving with the rhythm.

“You can be yourself,” Saint Louis said. “It just takes me to another world.”

Saint Louis dances whenever and wherever he can, and often gets comments from people about how he’s inspired them to be themselves.

Together, these freestyle dancers makeup the New Wave dance group, a group that practices either after school or at each others’ houses.

Roberts and Wright performed at this year’s talent show, at the pep rally and, about a year ago, performed at the “We are Brave” talent show, a show that raised awareness about domestic violence.

The group has not performed at any events yet; however, Penn is in charge of recording

and editing the videos of New Wave to help out with gaining popularity.

He has an appreciation for dancing and is currently learning from the dance group. He started getting involved with the group when he was approached by New Wave to help out because of his background knowledge of TV Production.

When doing a music video, the group has to decide on a song that they are comfortable dancing to and easy for Penn to add to the video. One thing Penn keeps in mind during the making of the video and editing is the theme of the music video.

How Penn decides the theme of the music video all depends on the types of dance moves Roberts, Wright and Saint Louis perform. If the group were to have flamboyant moves, Penn would edit the video to fit that specific theme.

Currently, Penn is working on an interview video to introduce New Wave and how they came about. The video will also include more background about each member and how dancing has influenced them.

“It’s more than just a simple dance crew: its family,” Roberts said.

Char-casm Let’s eat crickets!

C

Charlotte Mansur

rickets are not typically associated with food. Crickets smell like dirt and they look like something that you just picked off the heel of your shoe, and not many people know that that heel dirt is one of the most nutritious foods we could eat.

Crickets are loaded with protein and have enough nutrients to fuel a horse. Not to mention that crickets use way less land, water and other resources than your average cow. According to the Huffington Post, just two pounds of beef needs about 4,068 gallons of water while 10,000 crickets only need ten gallons of water. This means we can take even longer showers.

Crickets taste great, too, which is unexpected given its unappealing complection. This conclusion isn’t of my own, however, as this week I gave unsuspecting students two flavors of brownies, one cricket and one regular. Eleven out of 20 chose the cricket. Then of course I had to tell them that there were crickets in them, which didn’t go so well.

The crickets weren’t hard to get either. All it took was a little digging on Amazon, and then, poof, 100 percent pure cricket powder for $11.99 on prime. The next thing you know I was making brownies. My kitchen still smells like the inside of a shoe, and don’t even get me started on the garbage disposal.

Farming crickets is more humane than farming other livestock like cows and pigs.

We’ve all seen the PETA commercials that show the poor old chickens being crammed in cages stacked in warehouses. I know I can not give up my Chick-fil-A sandwich. Crickets however, are small and tend to cluster together, so you can have a guilt free protein source that requires zero PETA protests.

Of course there’s one main reason no one eats crickets, they’re nasty. And while that may be true, there are plenty of other nasty things that we eat every day. Lil Xan was just hospitalized for eating too many Hot Cheetos.

Nobody has been hospitalized for eating too many crickets.

Five years ago nobody would have expected edible charcoal to make it in their ice cream, lattes, and teas. But here we are. These seem like absurd suggestions, just as crickets are today. So next time someone offers you crickets, don’t be so quick to turn it down, throw it in some brownies and eat it with pride.

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lifestyles

DARK SIDE of the rainbow

40% of LGBTQ+

The LGBTQ+ community is proud of their identity and who they are, yet societal views and bullying cast a shadow Zoey Young

R

Staff Reporter

ainbows often symbolize joy, diversity and hope. When they appear in the sky, people stop to marvel and express glee at the sight above. However, rainbows do not always come with upbeat backstories but are born out of cloudy days, rain, and overall bad weather.

The LGBTQ+ community is thought to be exuberant and colorful, yet being a member of this group can come with consequences that are quite the opposite.

On top of fear of rejection from family members, freshman Michaela Maschhoff must also deal with the anger of those who are vehemently against her identity. Maschoff has faced verbal abuse after she came out as pansexual, meaning that she feels attraction to all genders, most recently after attending the Pride Parade held on Oct. 13 at Lake Eola.

“I have been called many names and been screamed at in the street. While at Pride, I was yelled at by a protestor; he told me that I was going to go to hell,” Maschoff said.

Religion plays a dark role in the struggles of coming out too; Maschhoff’s fear of rejection stems from a heavily-religious family who adheres to the Bible, which Maschhoff knows contains anti-homosexual text.

Sophomore Taylor Philpot, who thinks it is “pretty known” to people that she is bisexual, refrains from telling her extended family due to religious reasons.

“I’m nervous that they won’t want to talk to me anymore. I’m nervous that they will say something degrading and my mom and dad will have to pick between them and me. I’m nervous to be treated differently by them, and loved less,” Philpot said.

Physical abuse is also a concern for LGBTQ+ students. The 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that 10 percent of LGB students have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, while 34 percent have been bullied.

While protesters and strangers on the street can be aggressive toward LGBTQ+ teens, another peril students face is their own family.

It is difficult and can be “pretty scary” in the words of Philpot, for a teen to come out to their friends and family, especially when they are disapproving. Jane is unable to tell their parents, for fear of disownment and physical danger.

“I very much can’t tell my parents – I would be put in danger. I would most likely be sent to a conversion therapist or a psychologist that would torture me into saying that I’m [cisgender], that I’m straight, and actively give me trauma related to those things for life,” Jane said.

The use of violence by family toward LGBTQ+ teens is also coupled with disownment,

students have SUICIDAL thoughts

80 % of LGBTQ+

students suffer from DEPRESSION

10 % of LGBTQ+

students were faced with WEAPONS on school property

LGBT NATIONAL Hotline 1-888-843-4564 LGBT YOUTH Talkline 1-800-246-7743

Illustration by Andrea Izaguirre

National statistics from sources: Jamie Ducharme, Time Magazine 2018, 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, CDC 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report, Human Rights Campaign or the unacceptance that their child is still theirs after coming out. According to an article from the Washington Post in 2017, 40 percent of homeless teens are in the LGBTQ+ community.

Sophomore Carter Oakman has not faced violence due to his sexual orientation yet, he knows that he is at “higher risk” because of his homosexuality. Sophomore Jacob Carlson adds that he is even scared to be in public.

“I’m terrified almost any time I go out in public that someone will see me as ‘too gay’ and either verbally attack or worse,” Carlson said.

Oakman and Carlson both believe in being around people that love and support them.

Oakman also feels that being around trusting people can make a difference and can help one be “more free.”

Although some of the most “out” LGBTQ+ students are able to be open about who they are in the general public, there is still a lurking fear of being turned away. Carlson is very open about who he is as a gay guy and does not try to “hide anything.” Still, he has not told certain family members because he is afraid of the way they would perceive him.

“I haven’t told my grandparents yet because I don’t know how they would react honestly, and I’m scared of losing their love,” Carlson said.

Jack who is not as “out” about being pansexual believes that waiting is the best answer if one is not ready to come to terms with others, or even themselves about their sexuality or gender.

“The only thing you can do if you aren’t comfortable telling people, is to wait. Everyone has their time, eventually you will firmly identify yourself, and once that happens it’s only a matter of time before you will be ready to have people know. It’s a part of who you are but you have to find it first,” John said.

For the full story, check out Hagertyjourn. com

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sports

Rolling up to states

Girls bowling finishes top 10 in 1A state championship Hayden Turner

L

Staff Reporter

ast year, the bar was set and it was set high.

Placing in the top 16 last year the girls bowling team had bigger expectations going into this year. Then, after being runner-up in the district championship on Oct. 30, they had a new goal: to place in the top eight in the state.

The bowling program has accomplished many feats this year, including the girls team making it to the state championship for the second year in a row.

With a regular season record of 15-2, there was an expectation to excel in the offseason.

Wednesday, Nov. 7 was qualifying day, and the lone participant from the boys team, senior Logan Furlong, qualified second. The girls qualified 10th.

The girls team placed runner-up in the district championship to advance to states while the boys placed third. The leading scorer for the girls, senior Maya Paiva, scored a 721 in a four game total.

“I performed well, maybe not the best on some games, but overall I’m happy with how my team and I did.” Paiva said.

The team placed 10th overall in qualifying and won the first match against Cambridge Christian in the double-elimination round before losing the next two to Oviedo and Sebring to end in the top 10. In the Baker format, five people bowl two frames each in a 10-frame game.

Coach Leesa Burr led the team, and despite

not reaching the top eight, she was happy with the team’s performance. This was Burr’s last year as head coach, though, as assistant coach Heather Douglas will take over next year.

“Our goal was to finish better at states than last year and we did that,” Burr said.

As three of the five girls are graduating this year, next year will be a rebuilding year. For the boys, two of the five are graduating.

Furlong qualified second with a fourgame total of 926, but he finished 13th overall after losing his opening match in the double elimination round but battling back through the consolation bracket.

“I’m overall happy about my performance and how I carried myself,” Furlong said. “When in emotional and pressure-filled moments, I handled it well.”

The only other time Furlong qualified for states was his freshman year, with the team placed fifth overall.

“Freshman year was a lot more fun since my team was behind me,” Furlong said.

Even though the boys did not make it to states as a team, boys coach Keith Coville thought highly of Furlong and the girls’ team on their accomplishments this year as well.

“I am very proud of each athlete on both our boys and girls teams,” Coville said. “Not only are they great students, but they exhibited great sportsmanship and professionalism throughout the entire season.”

The full scores and bracket are on the FHSAA website at www.fhsaa.org.

SPORTSHORTS

CROSS COUNTRY GOES TO REGIONALS On Nov 7, the cross country teams competed at the regional championships. The boys team ran first, and their top runners were senior Ryan Self with a time of 17:24 and junior Adam Mastrobuono finishing right behind with a time of 17:25. For the girls, junior Kaylee Rodd ran a 19:00 and junior Rachel Pyros finishing with a 20:40. The boys and girls teams were led by Rodd and Self, but were unable to qualify for states. “[Rodd] put together the right races at the right times during the season,” head coach Jay Getty said.

BOYS GOLF FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT DISTRICTS After the best regular season in school history, 10-2, on Oct. 16, boys golf played in the District 7 Championship at Rio Pinar Country Club. The team placed second overall, and for the individual champion, both junior Aidan Kramer and sophomore Charles Nguyen shot 71 (-1) to go to a playoff. After both golfers birdied the first, Nguyen won after Kramer conceded the second. Then on Monday the team traveled to The Golf Club at Cypress Head to place fifth at regionals. “I am very happy with how the team performed this year,” coach Brandi Malkovich said.

GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING BEATS OVIEDO On Thursday, Nov. 1, the girls weightlifting team faced off against Oviedo in the first match of the season. The team won 60-30 and won 7 out of 10 weight classes and broke seven school records, led by senior Cheyenne Ducharme with a 320 pound total. The team started the season 1-0 in convincing fashion, but lost the next matchup against Winter Springs and is currently 1-1. “All that matters is the district and conference championships at the end of the year [so we are] building for that,” head coach David Attaway said.

UP HER ALLEY Senior Sabrina Dishman practices at Oviedo Bowling Lanes during the regular season. The team went 15-2. photo by Sammi Marino

Swimming sends one to states Noah Kemper

Staff Reporter rom Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, the boys and girls swim teams competed in the regional championships.

The first event was the girls 200 yard medley relay. Freshman Shannon Steiner led the team to a seventh place finish with a time of 25 seconds, and a team finish of 01:52.

After the first relay, the girls team had to regroup for the 200 yard freestyle relay. Toward the end of the relay, junior Harper Grabenhorst finished off strong with a 25.70 leg, guiding the team to an eighth place finish. The girls team final event was the 400 yard freestyle relay. In the relay, the girls team finished thirteenth.

“The girls team performed well, especially our relay team. I was pleased with the results,” sophomore Gina Dilullo said.

After the girls swim events, the boys team competed in their first team event, the 200 yard medley-relay. Junior Benjamin LeClair started

F

off strong with a 24-second leg, but the team fell off the fast pace. Although the boys team finished strong in the 200 yard freestyle, they finished 15th.

“At regionals, the boys team did well, but we could of performed better than we did,” said Lukas Boaz.

When all the team events were over, the boys and girls swim teams competed in individual events. The first event was the girls 100 yard backstroke, and Dilullo represented the team by placing fourth in the event with a time of 58 seconds. In the boys event, Boaz led the boys team to an 17th place finish, ending with a time of 1:33.

After the event was over, the boys team placed 18th place led by Boaz, and the girls swim team placed ninth out of 22 teams led by Dilullo who advanced to states. On Nov. 10, Dilullo competed in the 100 yard backstroke, finishing in 59 seconds, and represented the girls team with a 19th place finish.

MANIC MEDLEY Swimmer Andrew Leclair takes the lane in the 200 yard Medley relay finishing off

strong for the boys swimming team. photo by Juliana Joyner

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sports

Girls volleyball finshes season in elite eight Michael Gibson

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STRIKING A WIN Middle Audrey Douglas hits over the East Ridge blockers. The team won that game 3-0, and finished the season 25-5 after a loss in the regional finals to Plant, 3-0. photo by Maggie Taylor

fter a 3-0 routing of undefeated East Ridge in the regional semifinal, the girls volleyball team faced off against Plant in the regional final on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The past two years, both these teams have met up in the elite eight and have split wins; the home team won both games.

Plant had home court advantage this game, but Hagerty was looking to change the tide. A win would qualify them for the state final four and they would have the opportunity to have home court advantage for the game.

“On paper we were the better team coming into the game but they are a very good team,” head coach Juanita Hitt said. “It all came down to who performed the best, and we unfortunately did not.”

Plant won the game 3-0, but the score did not show how competitive the game was. Plant got off to a good start and set the momentum for the match by winning the first set 25-19.

Hagerty then made an effort to tie the match at 1-1 but Plant was able to pull it out in the last few points and won the second set 25-22. With Plant up 2-0, the team knew they had to pull out the third set or their season was over.

“We needed to pass the ball better and play defense better,” Hitt said. “If we could have done that we would have had better opportunity to win the game.”

Hagerty lost the third set 25-20 with a valiant effort by senior Leandra Mangual, who led the team in kills. Although the season was over for the team, the accomplishments of the season were still impressive The team won their fourth straight district championship and the three seniors are the only group in program history to do that.

Senior win close Powderpuff, 28-21

Hayden Turner

O

Staff Reporter

n Thursday, Oct. 26 the junior and senior girls squared off in the annual powderpuff game during homecoming week. The seniors came out on top, 28-21, with big plays from both sides, including a 73-yard touchdown run by junior

DOWN THE SIDELINE Antonietta Feroce runs toward the right sideline on the junior’s first scoring drive. photo by Chatham Farrell

Sports Editor

Brianna Neris in the second quarter.

The game opened with a huge 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game by senior Julianne Souza, and the scores kept coming. After a defensive stop, with senior Melissa Donovan getting tackle and another assisted tackle on the stop, senior Taylor Waters scored on the next drive, making it 14-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter.

By the end of the first quarter, the juniors answered with a touchdown of their own, going into the second quarter down by seven, coming off some good momentum.

On the juniors next drive, Grace Germer broke out with a 60-yard run on the second play of the drive that then led to a touchdown. Germer finished the game with two of the three junior touchdowns.

“We all did our job and all the teamwork was amazing.

Everyone hit their blocks, and we hit the holes,” Germer said.

Aside from the football, one of the most anticipated parts of the night was the halftime shows from the junior and senior cheerleading squad, boys from each class wearing tight-fitting, borrowed cheer outfits cheering on their respective grade level.

The juniors and seniors both created, practiced and performed their halftime show to go against the other class.

“We out-performed the juniors in all aspects, and we did a great job,” senior cheerleader Brock Ferrari said.

With the game being tight, Germer added her second touchdown to tie it up at 21, but the defensive front of the seniors was too much as the juniors were forced to punt on their last drive with a chance to score.

Senior coach Marc Pooler coached the seniors to another touchdown with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, to top off a good victory, 28-21.

“You saw team effort right there,” Pooler said.

The team also qualified for the Nike Invitational in Arizona, and defeated the number six ranked team in the nation.

“Arizona was a wonderful experience. We got to play against some of the best teams across the country and it really helped prove to us that we are better than we previously believed,” Hitt said.

Another accomplishment this season was in the regional quarterfinals, at home, against undefeated East Ridge. The team routed East Ridge 3-0 and that win qualified them for the elite eight.

Hagerty started off the first set with the foot on the gas by winning 25-15 and kept that pace by winning the second set 25-16. At this point it looked like East Ridge’s undefeated season was coming to a close, and it did as Hagerty won the third set convincingly, 25-19.

“It was a good win, we stuck to the game plan and executed everything very well,” Hitt said. “It was an important win for us as we [headed] farther into playoffs.”

The girls finished the season 25-5 and are currently ranked fifth in the state according to maxpreps.com. The team fell short of their state championship hopes but with only three players graduating, they are sure to make another run next year.

The core of the group next year is the current juniors, including Auburn commit Audrey Douglas. Those girls have three district championships under their belt and are ready to take the program to the next level.

The goal every season is a state championship but next year, it may be more possible than ever.

“We are already starting to talk about next year,” Hitt said. “Knowing that we are going to have a core group return next year is a good thing but we have to work harder if we want to win states.”

PLAYOF

THE

DATE: Oct. 26

ISSUE

GAME: vs.

Edgewater; district 7A championship

Who: Landon

Spangenberg, Caleb Lowe, Ian Watts, Jack Benzija

PLAY: Late in the first quarter, the

team faked a field goal when Landon Spangenberg lined up for the kick, but holder Caleb Lowe took the ball and pitched to wide reciever Ian Watts, who threw a 20-yard completion to Jack Benzija to set up the first touchdown.

The Huskies would win 31-15.

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sports

DISTRICT CHAMPS

Football stuns Edgewater for second district championship

Sammy Cordero

Bryson Turner

6-5 overall 5-1 district

A

District 4 Champions

Third playoff appearance in school history Ian Watts

Second home playoff game

22 seniors DJ McCunney Caleb Lowe

Ziglar retires after 43 seasons

Bryson Turner

I

Online Editor t was an emotional moment in the wrestling room on Monday, Nov. 5.

It was then, before the team’s first practice before their playoff game against Robert E. Lee, that head coach Phil Ziglar confirmed he would be retiring at the season’s end, whenever that may be.

“I think they had a general idea of what was going to happen because the rumors were out already,” Ziglar said. “I knew it was going to be tough for me and I dreaded it all day.”

Ziglar has had his mind made up about

retiring even before what became his final season even began. After becoming content with his decision himself, he informed principal Mary Williams before the Lake Brantley game. Only Williams and Ziglar’s wife, Cathy, knew of his decision before he told the varsity team.

“I’ve enjoyed working with him and he will be missed by everyone immensely,” Williams said.

Ziglar caps off a 43-year career on the sideline, including 29 seasons as a head coach for Boone and Hagerty, where he led teams to a total of eight district championships, three regional

Online Editor

fter 43 years of coaching, there are certain games that head coach Phil Ziglar remembers a bit more than others. These games go into something he calls “the book.”

“The book is when a coach has a lot of games that he just cherishes,” Ziglar said.

The varsity football team’s 31-15 upset victory over then Orlando Sentinel No. 1 Edgewater that clinched the program’s second-ever district championship was one of those games.

The win earned the team a home playoff game against Robert E. Lee, and though the 48-7 loss was a tough end, the district championship against Edgewater will be the game the team remembers.

“If I’m honest, I didn’t even expect to win that game,” linebacker Kyle Shaouni said. “We went in playing the best I’ve seen any of our teams play in my life.”

Shaouni led the team in tackles this season, with 96 total. Meanwhile, Ian Watts, playing defensive back, snagged three turnovers on the season, two of which were during the Edgewater game.

“We’ve been the underdog the whole season,” Watts said. “No one thought we’re going to put up a fight. We did.”

Other members on the team share Watts’ sentiments, some declaring it their favorite moment of the season.

“I think Edgewater came in with the mindset that they were going to walk all over us,” sophomore wingback D.J. McCunney said. “We put in the extra work and we got it done. It was definitely my favorite moment [of the season.]”

On the offensive side, quarterback Sammy Cordero, running back Jordan Gilbert and Watts each scored their final touchdowns of their varsity careers. Cordero led the team in rushing yards and touchdowns this season, with 947 yards on 155 carries for 11 touchdowns and Gilbert finished with 434 yards on 69 carries and six touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the fourth touchdown of the game was scored by running back Ethan Lopez, his first as a varsity player. Lopez was called up the varsity team early in the year to provide depth at running back while Gilbert was still recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last season.

Lopez finished his debut season with 116 carries for 684 yards and two touchdowns.

“Getting bumped to varsity was possibly the greatest thing that happened to me all season,” Lopez said. “Coach Nassar always tells me I’ve improved a lot.”

After losing to Lake Brantley, Oviedo and East Ridge, and narrowly escaping Lake Minneola, West Port and Ocoee, it would have been easy to write Hagerty off.

Especially since they were going against a team that was undefeated and has beaten district opponents by a combined score of 247-48 to that point.

“This team overcame a lot of adversity, more than any team I’ve ever had,” Ziglar said. “You can’t ask anything from young men better than that.”

championships, and a state championship runner-up in 2007.

“All of my high school football experience has been with him,” sophomore wingback D.J. McCunney said. “Coach Ziglar put in a lot of effort on us so it felt good to get him what we feel like he deserves.”

In retirement, Ziglar is looking forward to spending more time with his family, including visiting his grandchildren in North Carolina.

“When a person finds something they STAND Head coach Phil Ziglar love, and they love to do every day, and LAST delivers the final post-game speech of his 43every minute of their life, they’re blessed,” year career. ” photo by Julianna Joyner