The BluePrint - Volume 7, Issue 4

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

INDEX

the

blueprint

volume 7, issue 4

Winter guard.................2 Sundew Gardens.........5 Choices...................8-9 Facebook freakout.....11 JV boys soccer...........15

february 14, 2012

Heartbreak at states

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ith a little more than three minutes to go, sophomore Sydney Schilling knew the state soccer title, the first for any school sport, was in reach.

“I was excited,” Schilling said. “But “I knew that crazy things happen in soccer. I knew it was important to just keep playing my game.”

Then a cross into the box and a header to the back post from St. Thomas Aquinas’ Kaitlin Tighe shocked the team and sent the game to overtime, where a goal by Aquinas’ Ashley Cardounel five minutes into extra time ended the team’s state championship dreams.

“Mikaela [Renfro] told us just to keep going and put everything out there,” junior midfielder Sam Collin said. “I think we all put it out there in overtime.”

After the heartbreaking loss has been put into perspective, the team will look back at the most successful season of any team in school history. A 12-game winning streak, a district title, a regional title and a state runner-up trophy highlight the accomplishments.

Despite the loss, the main goal of making it to the Final Four was still fulfilled, and that was a success in the eyes of head coach Rodney Kenney.

The path to the state championship game was no less remarkable. The team had been at odds with Winter Park since their first game, a 4-4 tie on Nov. 16. But the rivalry was settled on Jan. 27, when

the team defeated Winter Park 5-1 to propel them to the regional finals. In the regional final, on Jan. 31, the team beat Spruce Creek 3-1 and placed themselves into the state semifinals against Apopka.

On Feb. 3, the team advanced beyond that record-setting mark by defeating Apopka 3-1. The first goal was scored in the opening two minutes by junior Sam Collin, but Apopka tied it up with three minutes left in the half. The clutch goal was scored by junior Amayah Banks in the fifty-third minute to put the team up 2-1, and freshman Ru Mucherera sealed the victory with a third goal with only nine minutes remaining in the game.

The leading scorer of the team, Mucherera, scored four critical goals in the victory over Winter Park. She also scored the final goal in the Apopka game but then was called up to a national tryout and missed the state championship game. The team was also without senior Mikaela Renfro, who tore her ACL in the Spruce Creek victory. Kristen Keenan was injured just before halftime, a big blow to the team as she could not finish the final 30 minutes.

Kenney predicted a Final Four berth this season, and he expects future success as they will return 17 of their 21 players, plus an influx of rising players.

“Now we know what its like,” Schilling said. “We want the same feeling.

We know now how not to lose.”

photo by Colleen Logan

Cheers to tears. Freshman Alanah Lebl and junior Allison Capps (above) share tears during the silver medal ceremony after the dramatic 3-2 overtime loss against St. Thomas Aquinas in the at USF on Saturday.

Hot streak. Left midfielder Sydney Schilling sprints downfield with the ball during the team’s 12 game win streak.

The second place state finish was the furthest any sports team had advanced in school history.

-Sean Donovan, Sports Editor

photo by DSP

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Annual Blues B-Q things to do this month  6th [Feb. 18]

 Romeo and Juliet

[Jan. 25 - Mar. 17] At The Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Watch as two youths fall madly in love in a very short amount of time.

 ArtsFest 2012

[Feb. 1 - Feb. 29] In over 80 locations around Central Florida, ArtsFest features over 300 cultural events.

Free admission.

Sample some of the best barbeque in Orlando while enjoying free live concerts

by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave., The Lee Boys and more. 3 p.m to 10 p.m.

 Bury the Dead

 MegaCon

[Feb. 16 - Feb. 19] UCF College of Arts and Humanities presents this modern classic, anti-war play. It brings to life the stories of fallen military warriors. Evening performances start at 8 p.m.

[Feb. 17 - Feb. 19] Visit Florida’s largest sci-fi, comic and anime convention.

Guests include Tom Felton and Stan Lee. A single-day ticket is $25 and a weekend ticket is $60.

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I.C.E. AWARDS will be held in the auditorium on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The It’s Called Entertainment awards showcase the winners of each film genre from submitted videos. Genres such as music video, shortfilm, stop-motion and theatrical trailer will be shown.

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THE PTSA ADVISORY COMMITTEE meets every second Monday of the month in the media center at 6:30 p.m. to discuss senior activities, events and spending.

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SENIOR CLASS LEADERSHIP is holding a car wash to raise money for prom on March 31 at the 7-Eleven at Lockwood and 419.

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FLORIDA BANDMASTERS ASSOSCIATION DISTRICT 6 SOLO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL was held on Feb. 10. Students in band performed a piece for judges who gave them a rating of superior, excellent or good. Out of 48 performances, 37 were rated superior and 19 excellent.

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THE SCPS REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR was held Jan. 28 at the Seminole Towne Center from 8 a.m. to 3 P.M. Junior Tyler Schulte, junior Jon Le, and junior Karl Kostelyk won first place in Sr. Division Physics, the Siemens Special Award and the Army Special award for their research project on “How Air Flow Through a Trumpet Affects Frequency.” Sophomore Jaime Benedict and sophomore Lauren Holladay won first place in the Sr. Division Biochemistry and the Mingoia Memorial Special Award for their research project on “Effects of Carbonic Acid on Mollusks with Calcium Carbonate Exoskeletons.”

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YOUTH PALS will hold their third annual Hearts for Autism Walk on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. The walk, which will raise funds to support individuals with autism, costs $5 to attend, and t-shirts will be sold for an additional $10. The walk will include a number of games and activities, such as a bounce house and dunk tank.

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Winter guard performs in Ohio

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ince November, winter guard has prepared for Winter Guard International, a five-day competition in Dayton, Ohio on April 12-14. The show features more than 300 guards whose performances feature skills in flag, rifle, saber and dance.

The winter guard went to WGI in 2010, where they performed in the A Class, the beginner level. This year, winter guard has moved to Open Class, the intermediate performing level.

Winter guard is independent from the color guard that performs with the marching band, even though both teams feature many of the same members. It is a brand new show and a five minute routine performed to the song “San Jacinto” by Peter Gabriel.

The show, “Hold the Line,” is about the destruction of a Native American civilization so it can be turned modern.

The people who live there fight to preserve their culture and keep their land.

The tribal-themed show works to make audiences feel involved and connect to the story.

“We want the audiences to feel sorry and to get emotional from the show,” Bowman said.

The team, coached by Traci De Leon, practices between nine and 13 hours per week including several Saturday practices. They endured a four day winter guard camp from Jan. 9-15, where they practiced seven to 10 hours each day. They also spent six hours painting their tarp to match the Indian theme and costumes.

Along with the time sacrifice, the guard had to raise $10,000 to attend WGI. The team held their annual pasta dinner show where they made spaghetti, salad and bread for their peers and parents. Each

photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Holding the line. Junior Erin Ballew practices the winter guard’s routine for upcoming shows with the rest of the team.

of the guard’s 21 members were required to sell 10 tickets. In addition to their performance, Jackson Heights Middle School, Boone High School, Winter Park High School and Oviedo High School also participated at the dinner.

The members of the team will also perform in several other regional level competitions, including the International

Orlando Regional. The winter guard hosted this event at Hagerty on Feb. 11.

It brought over 1000 teams and spectators from all over the state.

This competition was just the start of the season and winter guard has several other chances to show off their talent before nationals.

-Natalie Castle, Staff Reporter

3 Robotics club hosts, wins awards in competition

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he robotics teams recently hosted the annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology competition. Over 15 schools—some travelling all the way from Miami—competed on Jan. 28.

The teams participated in opening ceremonies, where the students showed off their school spirit with mascots and cheering, and then later competed against different schools to see who had built the better robot.

Last September, the Hagerty teams went to the FTC kickoff where the game was announced. The teams were given the plan for the playing field and told what the robots would have to accomplish during the time limit.

Since then, the two teams, the all girls team, Estrogenius, and the mixed gender team, Kiss My Bot, have programmed and designed their own robots with the help of mentors in the engineering program at UCF. The awards handed out at the end of the competition included the Connect Award, for outreach and community service. The all girls team from Hagerty, Estrogenius, received the Motivate Award for being the most enthusiastic team

involved.

Robotics coaches Po Dickinson and Yvette Piggott have prepared for this competition since last spring. They have worked to make signs, order food and decide on fundraisers to have at the event.

“I was a little stressed, but it was so great,” Dickinson said. The Hagerty robotics teams raised over $900 through basket fundraisers from the sponsors and selling food.

The competition’s purpose was to raise awareness for the “Varsity Sport for the Mind,” as the FIRST program calls the tournament, because it combines the excitement of sport with the intensity and diffifulty of the science and technological skills necessary to compete.

“Hopefully we’ll get more kids interested,” Piggott said.

More student involvement is always a priority for the teams and coaches. Not many students participate, even though the club could lead to a great future with good job opportunities.

“One of the concerns I have is girls staying away from advanced technology, math and science courses,” Dickinson said. “We want to encourage females to join.”

Student Exchange

On Feb. 9, the nine Seminole County high schools swapped students. Eight students from other schools visited Hagerty, where they had a host student to follow around all day.

Why did you decide to participate in the Student Exchange?

“At Lake Mary, juniors have first priority. I had no idea what Hagerty was like. It was a new experience; a good experience. The bells here are better.”

– David Polacek, 11, Lake Mary High School “It was a good experience to see how it works. I know a lot of girls from soccer and heard good things.”

– Alexis Ward, 11, Winter Springs High School What was your favorite part of visiting Hagerty?

“Getting cheered for in class in AP Statistics.”

– Kate Brown, 10, Lyman High School “Meeting new people from Leadership.”

– Grant Bergeron, 11, Lake Brantley High School Why did you decide to host someone?

“I thought it’d be a fun experience. I hosted someone because I had hard classes and didn’t want to miss class.”

– Cristina Key, 12 “It was fascinating. It was interesting to show someone how Hagerty works.”

– Jacob Shuman, 11

This competition not only helped the Hagerty team, but also presented the other high school teams the opportunity to test the engineering skills they have gained while they meet new people and show off their school spirit.

“Our school was very well represented,” Piggott said, “but I think the best part was our students. People from other schools commented on our wonderful students for participating in this great, positive thing.”

-Quinby Mitchell, Staff Reporter

photos by Robyn Smith

In it to win it. Senior Andrea Colon, junior Samantha Collin and junior Christine Stock (above) guide their robot, #4717 (below), toward a crate filled with balls in a “Siberian Showdown” competition.

Skyward student access open now

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he recent release of the revamped, student friendly Skyward—a website where users can check on grades, attendance records and assignments as teachers enter the information into the system—has created a sense of freedom as students can log on independently of their parents.

“My mom checks Skyward multiple times a day, and if I’m missing anything, she would bug me about it until I fix the problem,” sophomore Rachel Wapner said. “Now she will hopefully stay off my back and let me worry without getting stressed over [grades].”

The new Skyward Student Access was created to better connect students with their grades, tasks and teachers.

The layout was designed to parallel the Skyward Family Access account, except for the option to view past and current assignments as well as a test-taking feature exclusive to the student version.

Of the students who were aware of the new Student Access, most felt that the program would give them a better

chance to stay on top of their grades more independently rather than via constant parent check-ups.

“I think parents have a right to see your grades, but not as frequently as [the student] does,” sophomore Tabby Ho said. “Students should be able to access Skyward privately to see how they are doing. If they worry about their parents watching their every move, there is additional pressure to improve quickly.”

Like Ho, other high school students thought that parents should be able to see grades periodically through progress reports and grade print-outs, and that the instant grade updates should be shown only on the Student Access account.

Junior Isabelle Arrell said that despite a good overall grade in a class, she would get into trouble with her parents for late homework or a bad quiz grade even if she knew that the assignment was small enough not to impact her overall grade.

“I do like the fact that I can see right away when an assignment is missing because of the instant grade updates,”

Arrell said. “I just wish that my parents couldn’t see every assignment and grade because that’s what gets me into trouble.”

Another feature exclusive to Skyward Student Access is a teacher’s ability to post a test or quiz on the student account and the student’s score is sent to the grade book automatically.

“I feel like students should be exposed to online tests in high school,” Spanish teacher Griselle Morales said. “But it does raise concerns about cheating since the tests would only be multiple choice.”

To access the student version of Skyward, students must go to the website home page and enter the same information they use for access to the school computers. They will also be required to enter their email so the account’s password can be recovered to their email if the student forgets. Once in, students have access to teacher message boards, posted online tests, and assignment lists, as well as the freedom of an independent account from their parents.

-Matilda von Kalm, Staff Reporter

4 Shiloh Ranch—dream to reality

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s much as teenagers complain about their parents and rules, junior Skylar Anderson understands that parents give the stability students need. She understands what parentless children go through, and she has made it a mission to raise funds to help lost teenagers. When Anderson learned of community member Cindy Sharon’s project—Shiloh Ranch—for homeless teenagers, Anderson found her way to help the kids she has grown up with.

When foster children turn 18, they are legally adults and are no longer a responsibility of the foster care system.

These legal adults, yet mental teenagers, have nowhere to go and are unsure what their future holds for them.

Although adopted at birth and never through the foster system herself, Anderson is no stranger to foster children.

Her mother has been bringing foster kids into their home since before Anderson was born. Anderson has met many children, from those that try to runaway to the polite, shy ones.

“I like to help people; I’m always donating what I can to charities,” Anderson said. Every little amount counts—I want to do something good to help the world.”

Anderson has organized a crew of teenagers to help her build Shiloh Ranch.

“We have the plans, we’re just trying to raise the money to make it a reality,”

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The Death of Chivalry Bathroom graffiti artists leave much to be desired Sabrina Chehab, Managing Editor

I photo provided by Skylar Anderson

Breakfast with Santa. Skylar’s team participated in Oviedo Women’s Club holiday event.

Anderson said. “I want to get the school involved and make people aware of what some kids their age have to go through.”

Anderson has raised over $1,000 through several events, like Breakfast with Santa for the Oviedo Women’s Club.

She hopes to raise even more funds by selling bows during school lunches and possibly hosting a St. Patrick’s Day dance, with all benefits going to Shiloh Ranch. Anderson hopes that with a school dance, she can get more people interested and involved with volunteering for her Shiloh Ranch team.

“I need as many people [on my volunteer team] as I can,” Anderson said.

“To be on the team, you really need to be willing to put the time toward it.”

Once built, Shiloh Ranch will offer a sanctuary for local homeless teens. It will give them a place to stay and a home, run by volunteers. It will double as an animal rescue as well, and will give the former foster kids the skills and support they need to become successful, independent adults in the world.

“Anyone can make a difference if they try,” Anderson said. “Every little bit counts; every little change, every little minute, it adds up and makes something much bigger.”

-Jem Mason, Lifestyles Editor

Facebook’s biggest threat on the web n 2006, during the rise of Facebook, another social networking site was launched. The site, originally known as twttr, used a basic SMS code to share small text message like posts to a select group of people. By February of 2010, Twitter, as the site was then called, had reached 50 million “tweets,” small messages containing no more than 140 characters, posted to the digital wall of users’ followers on the site.

Twitter seems to be pushing its way into the social networking world just as Myspace in 2004 had done to Friendster, and Facebook in 2006 had done to Myspace. This recurring situation brings up an important question: Is Twitter the new Facebook?

Senior Morgan Blair tweets daily.

“I just like that there’s no adding of friends, and no relationship updates,” Blair said.

lifestyles

Many people are attracted to the idea of not having to deal with the “beef,” as senior David James put it, of Facebook.

“I don’t like how much personal information there is on Facebook,” James said. “There are no parents on Twitter.”

Many seem to feel Facebook has begun to invade users’ privacy. Twitter is simply a page of short posts and updates posted and viewed by a select group of users. The profile information requested from Twitter is nowhere near as thorough as Facebook, preferred by many social media users such as Senior Kye Bryant.

“If you don’t want your tweets seen you can have them locked—that way no one can see what you read or add you unless you let them,” Bryant said.

Another aspect of social media that Twitter brings to the table is who is logging on. Twitter has become known for its popularity among celebrities, famous

athletes, musicians and politicians.

Celebrities and athletes like Channing Tatum and Tim Tebow have the ability to update their lives without the hassle of becoming everyone’s friend.

Even though Twitter users do not have the opportunity to become “friends” like on Facebook, senior Tony Sorrentino has found a way to become part of the Hollywood family.

“I feel like I’m getting to know famous people,” Sorrentino said. “I’ve learned things about my favorite celebrities I wouldn’t have otherwise known.”

Twitter has caught on in the social media world such as Facebook had done.

If more and more people log in to Twitter instead of Facebook, it is very possible that Facebook will be the next to go.

“I don’t miss Myspace,” James said.

“I don’t think I’ll miss Facebook.”

-Jack Schwartz, Staff Reporter

often get my love advice in a bathroom stall. I never follow it, but it’s always there for me if I need it.

Which is never.

While few people go to the bathroom for relationship solutions, even fewer venture to the restroom for artistic interpretations of certain anatomical parts. Regardless, a special group of bathroom bandits still think it is cute to leave their detailed artwork and philosophical sayings behind for all to see.

Females tend to share their life advice with those who happen to stumble into the bathroom, usually gracing the germ-infested walls of the girls’ restrooms with love revelations and the latest gossip.

Just the other day, I read this valuable advice: “love is a excuse you dont really love anyone all theyll do is play you and then go out with you BF or like ur best friend...”

Whoa, awkward situation avoided. Thanks for the advice. But I think I saw something like that happen on the last episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

It would be a cheap shot to criticize the grammar—I’m not maniacally condescending—but I would find the advice to be much more credible if spelling and elementary-grade punctuation were not an issue.

While in the restroom, I also learned who has herpes and who is getting fat. On a positive note, I was told to smile because I wasn’t aborted, that I was beautiful and loved.

Not everyone who visits the bathroom is beautiful and loved, and that is just cold, hard reality.

Male members of the student body find it within themselves to share obscene things with their bros. And by “things,” I mean one thing: drawings of their things quite literally everywhere. There is also the occasional gangster rap. But above all, the drawings above the toilets of stick figures with eyes watching boys relieve themselves are my personal favorite. How awkward for those with bladder shyness.

(I may or may not have snuck into the boys bathroom to double check all of this.)

It is safe to say that the content is most likely intended for laughs. There is really only one other possibility concerning teenage boys’ obsessions with drawing their manhood and I will leave that for you to interpret however you see fit.

Something that comes to mind in all of this nonsense is poor janitors. Year after year, layer after layer of touch-up paint and dollar after dollar spent for the purpose of repairing the stupidity of the student body, I can only imagine these cute messages have lost their charm. Is there a special brand of inspiration that can only be discovered while using the bathroom?

Doubtful. Bathroom writing is an anonymous way to feel like a rebel and vent your feelings at the same time. Two satisfactions with one pen…or pencil, or Sharpie.

5 Sundew Gardens provides local organic food lifestyles

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ot everyone wakes up with live an annual membership to the gardens for are bored and she’s bringing them to pick; chickens wandering freely around $100. With this deposit, members earn a it doesn’t work like that.”

The price of a certain crop depends on in their kitchen, but junior Alana monthly credit of $10 per month that goes growing conditions and a majority of the Carey and her family, owners of Sundew toward their harvesting fee.

Produce picking times are scheduled available produce is sold by weight. To Gardens, are used to it. Sundew Gardens is a local organic food farm with a harvest on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. help customers manage their harvest, and gardening program, where members of On these days, customers can take part to help her family, Alana does odd jobs the community can pick fresh produce in Sundew Garden’s “U-Pick” program, around the farm.

“I’ll help plant crops, work at the such as fruits, vegetables and herbs, and where they are given the opportunity to packing pavilion and help also purchase free range eggs. others count up their orders,” Created in 1983, Sundew It was before my time that my family got Carey said. “I do the general Gardens is located on five acres of land on Red Ember involved [in the business]. It was different in stuff, and whatever else my tells me to do.”

Road and boasts rows upon the 80s when my dad had to tell people what dad And if the concept of rows of organically home organic meant. organic farming is inspiring, grown vegetation.

Sundew Gardens offers “It was before my time -Alana Carey, 11 homesteading classes, as well that my family got involved [in the business],” Carey said. “It was hand-pick the crops from the garden that as other workshops about raising chickens, different in the 80s when my dad had to they will buy. Eggs are also available for greenhouse projects and permaculture; harvest from the outdoor chicken coops. visitors to the garden can learn how to live tell people what organic meant.”

But today, due to the local food On every other day of the week, the a more natural, sustainable lifestyle.

“What’s really cool,” Carey said. “Is movement—the increasing desire for garden is closed for harvesting.

“The worst is when people drive up on that we get to set the rules and meet lots community-grown food—organic is less of a mystery and more of a smarter a Wednesday and ask to pick,” Carey said. of new people.” lifestyle choice. A customer can purchase “Or when a mom calls up saying her kids -Sabrina Chehab, Managing Editor

photo by Destanie Hoppe

Healthy choices. Junior Alana Carey’s family supports healthy eating habits with their fresh produce and free range chicken eggs. The AP Environmental classes got the chance to tour the farms and pick some vegetables.

Focus on fitness

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s New Year resolutions are made and the idea of being healthy becomes even more popular, limiting work outs to the home is not always ideal. Students turn to local gyms in order to meet their individual desires for fitness and wellness. Some students may attend a gym in order to be fit for sports, to be cool, to hang out with friends, or to get toned. Whichever the motive, the most common gym choices remain consistent: Planet Fitness, LA Fitness, and the YMCA.

Planet Fitness

Location: Casselberry off of Winter Park Drive Membership includes: machines, weights, unlimited fitness training, access to a tanning booth and massage chair and other privileges Membership rates: between $10-$20 a month Hours: weekdays, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays close at 9 p.m. Weekends, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

LA Fitness

Location: Mitchell Hammock Road Membership includes: machines and weights, as well as other amenities such as a basketball court and a pool Membership rates: $9.95 a week Hours: weekdays, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays close at 10 p.m. Weekends, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

YMCA

photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Work it good. Sophomore Victoria Elliot works out at her local neighborhood gym.

Location: Red Bug Lake Road Membership includes: 120 different types of work out classes and 92 pieces of equipment, an indoor track and a pool Membership rates: $50 registration fee, $31 a month Hours: weekdays, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays close at 9 p.m. Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-Amanda Ellard, Staff Reporter

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lifestyles

Getting CREATIVE for Valentine’s Day F

photo by Catie Mason

Friendship of Valentine’s. Freshman Haley Gaeser makes gift bags for her friends’ Valentine’s Day.

ew holidays can compete with the love, hate relationship people have with Feb. 14. Couples either love it, or view it as just anther obligation they must fulfill. Some singles hate Valentine’s Day because it reminds them that they do not have a significant other, and some use the day to show the people around them how much they care.

“Valentine’s Day for most people is [just] a time to buy their boyfriend or girlfriend presents,” freshman Haley Gaeser said. “For me, I think of it as a day to spend with your best friends.”

Utilizing the local Dollar Tree, Gaeser bought multiple colorful gift bags, pencils, cute heart erasers, and other Valentine’s Day related knick-knacks. For her friends she planned to make eight to 10 small gift bags and written Valentine’s Day cards showing them how much she appreciates their friendship.

“I prefer to make homemade gifts because I like to make cards with inside

jokes and a touch of personality to the gifts I give, rather than just buying some random thing,” Gaeser said.

Sophomore Sarah Sitar and her boyfriend, senior Kyler Walker, have been dating for eight months, and for this Valentine’s Day, Sitar decided to get creative. Using an idea she got off of Tumblr, Sitar made 12 cupcakes from scratch. In order to make the cupcakes more special, she added in her boyfriend’s favorite candy, Reese’s Cups, and used a cookie cutter to carefully cut out a heart in the middle of the desert.

“You should really dig deep and possibly go for an inside joke or one of their favorite qualities because that [makes them] feel like you’re listening,” Sitar said.

Unlike most holidays, Valentine’s Day has multiple nicknames that coincide with the mindsets people have toward the day. ‘Singles Awareness Day’ is the most popular alternative, given by singles who

view the lovey-dovey feelings shown as a reminder of their solitude.

“People who complain about Valentine’s Day are just jealous because they don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend to share it with,” freshman Stephanie Kiriazes said.

The annoyance directed at Valentine’s Day stems mostly from people who do not have someone to shower with gifts.

Already watching couples demonstrate their love for each other around school can make a single person feel a bit depressed, so a whole day devoted to couples does not make them feel any better.

“I don’t like Valentine’s Day because if I don’t have a boyfriend when it comes around then I feel alone,” sophomore Kerstin Sosa said.

Romantic or not, Valentine’s Day can be a day where students can show their care for those around them, or a day when they feel alone.

-Catie Mason, Staff Reporter

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Born to be overrated

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hen The Woman in Black was revealed to the public, all eyes fell on Daniel Radcliffe.

Renowned for his work as Harry Potter, many fans and critics have wondered if Radcliffe could grow out of his childhood role, or if he would forever be stuck in the shadow of The Boy Who Lived.

As a suspenseful thriller, The Woman in Black truly gets the audience’s heart racing. While it has a slow beginning compared to typical horror movies, the exposition of suicidal children and Arthur Kipps’ (Radcliffe) job assignment to clear up the paper work of an old mansion in a small rural village is perfect for buildingup the mystery and suspense for the rest of the movie. Between the creepy children and a vengeful ghost, the movie is essentially a story about family bonds, love, death and the poison of revenge.

Set in the late 1800s, Kipps is a young insurance worker who, after his wife’s death, is left to take care of his son with the help of a nanny. It was hard to accept the fact that Radcliffe’s character has a child of his own. Having grown up with the Harry Potter series, Radcliffe is still a

photo from IMDb.com

gangly teenager in most viewers’ eyes, but in reality he is 23, a perfectly acceptable age in the 1800s to have a 3 year-old son.

As Kipps begins to unravel the mystery of the village, the overwhelming urge to scream “Expecto Patronum!” at every scary part started to fade. While still playing an arguably stupid hero— putting himself in danger for people he does not even know—Radcliffe was able to shut Harry Potter out and take in the motivations of a father rather than a hero.

The Woman in Black, while lacking overall action, has an interesting plot that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats the entire movie; it is as much a mystery movie as it is a thriller. It is reminiscent of The Grudge movies with many teasers of confrontation between the hero and ghost. Whether a racing heart is your favored way to see a movie or not, Radcliffe’s success in stepping away from Hogwarts is enough to guarantee a well spent trip to the theater.

-Jem Mason, Lifestyles Editor

The Woman in Black, PG-13

ndie pop singer Lana Del Rey is one of the most anticipated artists this year, with music critics listing her as the artist to watch for photo from coverlandia in 2012.

Her album “Born to Die” does its best to showcase Rey as a unique and talented artist, but it falls short. While Rey’s voice has a unique sound, reminiscent of an oldschool Hollywood show girl, the songs are not that exciting.

Most of the songs share the same slow melody and production style that could put anyone to sleep. Her lyrics seem to follow the same outline— she falls for a bad boy, he breaks her heart.

On “Lolita,” Lana spells out the word “dark” as the entire chorus to the song, and “Blue Jeans” sounds like a sappy Shania Twain country ballad.

However, a few tracks prove that Rey is not a total flop. “National Anthem” is radio friendly, and the title track “Born to Die”, which samples spy guitars, howls, and a full orchestra, shows that Rey has potential to be a great pop artist. She just fails to live up to the hype.

-Matthew Neveras, Business Manager

Lana Del Rey, Born to Die

Joyful Noise—not a joyful experience

The comedy musical “Joyful Noise” takes a hint from Glee by taking well known songs and making them original and specific to the movie. Unfortunately, it is considerably less enjoyable than Glee.

The Divinity Church choir has won second place in the Joyful Noise Competition ever since the church was founded, but with Vi Rose’s (Queen Latifah) spunk, G.G.’s (Dolly Parton) determination, and talented new boy, Randy, played by Jeremy Jordan; they might just have a chance for winning this year.

The music featured a wide variety of styles, from gospel to modern to rap.

It also had several remakes of known songs, which included “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson and “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. The melodies were entertaining and featured

talented voices.

In the beginning the fights between Vi Rose and G.G., who were always butting heads, were funny. However, the insults about Parton’s big hair and plastic surgeries were overdone and unoriginal.

The title sums up the movie because it only feels “joyful” while the characters

photo from IMDb.com

are singing. When the characters begin speaking, the movie struggles.

Although entertaining, the music does not make the movie worth seeing. Buy the soundtrack, not the movie.

-Natalie Castle, Staff Reporter

Joyful Noise, PG-13

Great

Outstanding

Striking a Chord I get it that you find each other attractive, but where is the love?

Sam Salinas, Graphics Editor

I

have had a hard time getting into the spirit of Valentine’s Day because of the vague meaning of love as portrayed by modern musical artists. Love does not lift us up where we belong when Rihanna sings about it (didn’t she have relationship problems?). Music today has erased that fine line between what “love” really is, and what lust looks like. It gives the wrong impression of what should be expected when a guy or a girl meet their dream spouse.

On Valentine’s Day, while I stare out the window in the hopes of having my knight in shining armor trot up my driveway on his noble steed, I do not want to have Lil’ Wayne talking about ambiguous candy and wrappers in the background. Even if not all relationships end of happy-golucky with marriage and a baby in the end, music doesn’t necessarily need to speak the truth. Teens, as well as kids, do not need to hear about a ménage-a-trois that occurred last Friday night (apparently three’s not a crowd for Katy Perry).

Hearing Nicki Minaj and David Guetta serenade each other about being turned on in any way, shape or form is not really classy. Love has nothing to do with it, yet I constantly find 10 radio stations where abusive relationships are thrown in my face. To which I think: is this what love is all about?

Not for Selena Gomez—the Bieber muse hated by the general female population. She sets an example for any love song artist out there with gems like “love you like a love song” and “you stand alone to every record I own.” Well, maybe she has possessive issues, but at least she is not a part of the gloom-doom spectrum of love. Or the Perry parade.

With all the choices, I am left without a suitable musical role model when it comes to seeking advice on love. I can rely on Seventeen Magazine no longer. MTV has failed me for the last time, with its perpetual line of broken promises—a life filled with all the significant others I could ever hope for, as long as I live in the Jersey Shore (which is ironic, considering reality television continually plays on a channel originally created for music, so I am further confused). And the Jonas Brothers’ burning feelings, and unbelievable appeal with the ladies, are about to make their purity rings burst.

The raunchy lyrics and mixed messages put into modern mood tunes are cause for new generations of confused, naïve adolescents. Lusty behavior is not cute for middle school students, especially when their idols are limited to M.I.A. and Cee Lo Green. Love has been demoralized to the point that it must be gift wrapped in short skirts, heavy makeup and maybe some piercings. Throw in unintelligible dubstep and the party can start.

Of course, there’s always that 10 minute wait until Ke$ha walks in.

8

middle Let’s get physical. 46% of high schools students nationwide have made the choice to take a relationship to the next level. photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Covering all the base

Across the nation, adults and politicians are debating about family plan and sexual choices. But what sexual choices are teenagers making?

T

o do or not to do—consummate a relationship, that is.

Almost half of high school students surveyed in 2009 chose to “do,” says the Center for Disease Control.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the average age for teenagers to do so for the first time is 17.

“My girlfriend and I waited about a year into the relationship,” Hector said.

“I think for girls, waiting is mostly about reputation. It’s big for both parties, but I think she was more nervous about it.

I’d recommend waiting. We were really comfortable with each other because we had been together so long. I think if you rush into it, you’re making a mistake.”

The Guttmacher Institute reports that among sexually experienced teenagers, 70 percent of females and 56 percent of males waited until they had a steady partner to have their first sexual experience.

Students in longer, more committed relationships are also likelier to engage in sex more frequently than those who are in short, casual relationships, according to a school survey of students over 18.

However, there are some students who not only have sex often without being in

a relationship, but do so with multiple partners.

“There was this period where I had sex every weekend for eight weeks, with eight different girls,” Thomas said. “Sex is fun, and I’m not going to wait until I’m older to partake in it.”

This mentality is more common among teenage males, who are less likely to plan sexual encounters beforehand.

They say they are more likely to act impulsively when presented with a sexual opportunity. Females, on the other hand, not only wait longer to lose their virginity, but wait longer into the relationship. A longer waiting period and a committed partner both contribute to less sexual regrets, according to students.

“It was an in-the-moment decision,” Taylor said. “If I could, I definitely would have waited until I was older, because I think there is an emotional attachment regardless of how much we’d like to pretend there isn’t. I wish I had waited until I was in a relationship where I wasn’t so dependent. It would have made having sex more genuine and personal.”

Regrets like these are one of the biggest reasons students give for not

having sex. Others include not being ready, fear of disease or pregnancy and lack of commitment because they have “not found the right person yet.”

“It wasn’t so much a ‘decision’ as it was ‘avoiding possible negative consequences.’ The reality is that my mind had been made up long before that point,” Sean said. “I wanted to avoid getting someone pregnant, getting an STD, or any one of the many things that can result from sex.”

Religion is another important factor in the decision of whether or not to have sex. Some teenagers believe in abstinence until marriage because their faith tells them to do so.

“Religiously, sex is only for a man and a woman joined in a marriage in the presence of God,” Molly said. “Sex is the highest form of intimacy and therefore should be only for the most committed couples—married couples. You are essentially giving yourself to someone.”

Out of those polled, nearly 80 percent use protection when engaging in sexual activities. The most common forms of contraception are condoms for males and birth control pills for females.

“Using protection is something that I find mandatory,” Taylor said. “Of course, you don’t want to get pregnant in high school, but STDs aren’t a pleasant thought either. You don’t know who your partner has been with before you and that’s always been a concern of mine.”

However, most active students are not frequently tested for sexually transmitted diseases. The most frequent reason given was that they were “too embarrassed to ask their partner or to visit a clinic.”

Seminole County teaches abstinencebased sexual education. According to Mary Lane, the school is required by the state to teach a human sexuality lesson, although students may be excused if their parents write a note to the principal. Basic forms of contraception are taught, but students are not taught how to use them.

This is a position that most teachers and parents support.

“Sex is part of life, whether we like it or not,” mathematics teacher Aglaia Christodoulides said. “What I think we need to do is treat is as a normal part of life. [My kids and I] had that conversation when [they] were younger. We said that there were things that are morally wrong.

Sex is not, but you have to be have to be able to deal with the and you have to have a partne Most teenagers, both sexu not, believe that it is inappro someone based on their sexu type of judgment can be However, according to seve big decision like sex is an extr choice and therefore should n “I’ve had more partners t of,” Taylor said. “I think that e poor decisions in high scho think sleeping around is one o get through, it’s important to that it doesn’t define who you Because of all these impor biggest piece of advice given was this: make sure you ar having sex. “[Sex] changes everythin choose to do it, you can’t tak back,” Matthew said. “Regard you’re just friends or you’re in sex takes everything to a new

-Robyn Smith, Editor-in-Chief

*Names have been cha

9

middle

es

45.7%

e ready and you e consequences, er who cares.” ually active and opriate to judge ual choices. This very offensive. eral students, a remely personal not be ridiculed. than I am proud everyone makes ool and, while I of the toughest to remind yourself u are. ” rtant factors, the n by those asked re ready before

ng and once you ke that decision dless of whether n a relationship, w level.”

f

anged

of high school students nationwide have had sex

of 18 year-olds at Hagerty have had sex How old were you when you lost your virginity?

nning

Prior to 9th grade...............................14% 9th grade...........................................16% 10th grade.........................................24% 11th grade.........................................35% 12th grade.........................................11%

How far into the relationship did you wait before engaging in sexual activities?

Within a week....................................14% Within a month..................................22% Within 2-6 months.............................43% Within a year......................................14% Longer than one year...........................8%

How far into the relationship should you wait before engaging in sexual activities?

Within a week......................................5% Within a month....................................8% Within 2-6 months.............................30% Within a year......................................15% Longer than one year...........................6% Marriage............................................30% No response........................................6%

46%

The national average is 17 (junior).

How young is too young to have sex?

Prior to 9th grade...............................33% 9th-10th grade..................................27% 11th-12th grade..................................8% College................................................6% Before marriage.................................26%

How many different partners have you had?

1.......................................................46% 2-3....................................................27% 4-5....................................................14% 6-8......................................................5% 9 or more............................................5% No response........................................3% 14% of high school students nationwide have had sex with four or more people.

The average age teens lose their virginity is

17

How often do you engage in sexual activities?

Every day.............................................8% Every week........................................19% Every month.......................................49% Every year..........................................19% No response........................................5%

Do you use protection?

Yes....................................................81% No.......................................................3% Sometimes........................................16% 78% of high school females nationwide and 85% of males used contraceptives the first time they had sex.

What form of protection do you use?

Condom............................................40% Birth control pill................................24% Both..................................................30% Other...................................................3% None...................................................3% The condom is the most common contraceptive method. 68% of high school females nationwide and 80% of males use it the first time they had sex.

Random survey of 81 students age 18 or older, conducted by Robyn Smith. National statistics from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute.

10 QUOTES, NOTES & PHRASES

student connection

QUIZ

Which date are you destined for? Take this quiz to find out!

 “[The girls soccer team] worked really hard in practice and we kept our goal in mind. It felt pretty awesome and surreal when we won regionals.”

-Sydney Schilling, 10

 “The seniors were especially excited because they lost last year when they were so close to states. [After the game] some of us went out to eat at Chili’s and Chick-fil-A.” -Ru Mucherera, 9

...keep playing it cool.

Your date is somethin’ special. But...

You’re broke. So, you... ...go to their house and serenade them with some sweet guitar tunes.

...decide to take them for a romantic stroll in the wilderness.

 “We were all really excited because we lost in regionals last year and to know that we were on our way to reach our goal to win states was fantastic.”

-Kristen Keenan, 12

...you might as well give them a chance.

Things are...

Unbearable.

You notice they’re kind of attractive, from a certain angle.

MU ALPHA THETA: last year and never placed individual.

It was good that the hard work paid off.”

-Adam Berlinski, 11

The Romantic Date

SCIENCE FAIR:  “It took four months to finish, but it was worth it because I [placed] first in Biochemistry, and won $75.”

-Jamie Benedict, 10

SUPERBOWL:  “It was the most intense Superbowl I’ve ever seen, probably because I’m a die-hard Giants fan and they were playing against their biggest rivals.

They were neck-and-neck. I thought the game would change at any moment.”

-Alyssa Ramirez, 11

I hope it’s not that one kid.

Oh crap, it is. And they’ve asked you to the movies—how original. You say...

Yes...

...casually picking up the phone after waiting a few minutes. No rush. After you pick up, you see that someone wants to...

Go rock climbing...

...indoors. Your date talks about Lester, their leopard gecko, the entire time.

Chill at your place and play some video games.

This is weird.

This is awesome.

Absolutely not.

...because you’re too nice to say no.

They lean in to make a move, and...

Time to phone a friend. You call...

...the friend you have known forever.

...the friend with potential.

...a small part of you dies. Time to get out of there, and fast.

 “I was really excited because I did it

morning and set up everything in the cafeteria. It was fun to hear Hagerty’s name being called because [Mu Alpha Theta] hasn’t been [as strong as other teams] in the past.”

-Amy Dickerson, 12

It is Friday night and your phone lights up.

Your first reaction is...

Obstacle avoided.

It’s the nice kid who has been talking to you in class lately.

Not so bad.

 “You have to get up at 7:30 in the

START!

...quickly checking your phone. Sweet, it’s who you wanted it to be. Wait a few minutes to respond, keep it cool. Now, you want to...

GIRLS SOCCER:

Roses are red, violets are blue; you’ll go to any length to woo your boo. You find lame rhymes such as these amusing. Your date should appreciate the great lengths you’ll go to ensure their Valentine’s Day—or any day—is as memorable as it is cheesy.

The Adventure Date

Nerves? No such thing. First-date jitters are unfamiliar to you; you’d rather be experiencing an actionpacked, adrenaline rush. Not that there needs to be an adrenaline rush; you and your date are perfectly happy spending a relaxing day together in nature.

-Sabrina Chehab, Managing Editor

POLL: YOUR SAY

graphic by Sam Salinas

What is the biggest turn off in a date?

Based on a survey of 378 randomly selected students Compiled by Sam Salinas

The Eternal First Date

Awkward. And it always happens to you. Whether you’re trapped in the friend-zone purgatory or experiencing failed date after failed date, you just cannot win when it comes to your love life. But don’t fret, it can’t last forever...

The Friend Date

Not to say that things will never progress. And even if they didn’t, that’s no problem—the stress of dating just isn’t all that appealing anyways. Whether it’s a lasting bromance or an unrequited love, hanging out is fun. And that’s all that really matters.

11

student connection

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Readers upset about Wednesdays and buses

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE

Dear editors, Wednesdays are mad-dash, stressful, super-rushed days. I have six minutes to get from building 9 all the way to building 7 to grab my textbook and then, all the way to building 2! This is actually quite easy on block days, but on Wednesdays, forget it! My tardies to my third period class are piling up like a looming Jenga stack, and I’m pulling out all the blocks at the bottom.

All I’m asking is for more time in between classes on Wednesdays. An extra minute or two could count for so much. And what’s a minute or two less in class? How much learning actually gets done in those first minutes of class anyways? Also, the extra time between classes could give kids time to go to the bathroom, so that we don’t interrupt our learning process in class. Because, at this rate, I’m going to have to start wearing Shape Ups for the amount of speed-walking I’m doing.

Sincerely, Tucker Paré, 10 Dear editors, There is an issue with the amount of students riding the bus in the morning and afternoon. A lot of time in the morning, the students have no choice than to sit three to a seat—sometimes even more! A lot of students in the afternoon have it a lot easier because if they get on the bus early enough, they will have a seat to themselves. The others who get on later end up sharing a seat with two other people. It’s even harder for the people who are always getting picked on when they get on the bus late!

The school system should really handle this situation. There have been so many fights on the school buses because some students are not nice enough to offer a seat on the bus for the ones who get on late or who are at the last stop in the morning.

Sincerely, Samantha Davila, 12

Have an opinion for The Blue Print staff? Send us an e-mail at hhsblueprint@gmail.com or come to 6-201.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

photo by Isabelle Sarn

ek

Q: A: Q: A: Q: A:

Photograph by junior Miquaes Murga “I like this picture because it shows the true meaning of Valentine’s Day. Love is sweet, but too much can give you a tummy ache.”

Submit a photograph you have taken! Visit room 6-201.

Every issue, the newspaper staff creates a random task. Whoever completes it first is featured in the next issue of the newspaper. This issue, we taped a pencil to the wall and hung up a sign that said “Free Pencil!” Senior Stephanie Underhill, artist and member of the robotics team, took the pencil off the wall.

What are your interests?

I like to read, write and doodle.

I play video games too, and I’m on the Hagerty robotics team, so that’s where a lot of my free time goes.

Why did you join the robotics team?

One of my best friends was on the robotics team, so I decided to join and check it out. I went to a few meetings there and I just fell in love with it.

What have you done so far in robotics?

I’m not on the girls robotics team. I’m on the co-gender.

We’ve had two competitions this year. One was in October, and the other was in November.

We’re going to states.

Q: A: Q: A:

So why do you like the robotics team?

It’s just fun to be able to watch something that you helped make and that you had an idea in. It’s good to see how much you can accomplish from nothing.

What robots have you built?

We’ve only built one so far, but we’ve scrapped it and we’re building a second one for states. We have to be able to do specific tasks to get the most points.

Q: A:

Is engineering what you want to do when you’re older?

I like building things, but not as a profession. It’s fun to do, but I couldn’t see myself doing it.

Q: A: Q: A: Q: A:

What do you want to do as a career, then?

I want to experiment with what I can do with literature. I want to see if I enjoy being an editor or if I enjoy reviewing things.

So why do you like art?

I’m not the best artist, but it’s a fun thing to spend my time doing. When I’m bored, I just take out a piece of paper and start drawing.

What do you write?

I tend to write poems the most.

Just free verse, but lately I’ve been writing rhyming poems too. Wherever my train of though goes is where my poem goes.

-Sarah Casagrande, News Editor

12

opinions

the

blueprint

The Blue Print is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as a whole, the views of Seminole County Public Schools, or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff.

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

Hagerty High School 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

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

Principal Sam Momary Adviser Brit Taylor Editor-in-Chief Robyn Smith Managing Editor Sabrina Chehab Lifestyles Editor Jem Mason

News Editor Sarah Casagrande Reviews Editor Jem Mason Opinions Editor Justin Moser Student Connection Robyn Smith Sports Editor Sean Donovan

Graphics Editor Sam Salinas Photos Editor Isabelle Sarnek Business Manager Matthew Neveras Staff Reporters Natalie Castle Wil Egan Amanda Ellard Darbi Filliben Catie Mason Quinby Mitchell Jack Schwartz Matilda von Kalm

Our Take: Having the sex talk helps The “birds and the bees.” The “talk.”

Whatever one may call this discussion, it is a rite of passage that adolescents must pass on their road to adulthood.

Despite the necessity of this talk, the whole subject has become a social taboo, something to be avoided. The staff believes that this social stigma is one that needs to be done away with.

The United States likes to think of itself as an industrialized, civilized nation at the helm of the free world.

Yet in spite of all the things this country touts, the United States continues to lead the developed world in teenage pregnancy rates—twice as high as the rates in Canada and Sweden. This is counterintuitive to the significant

increase in contraceptive use since the 1980s, so the main culprit may be a lack of communication.

Both parents and adolescents are often reluctant to initiate the “talk;” parents might find it awkward to bring it up with their children, and teens may be mortified to have the conversation. But, unless the ice is broken effectively—and the door to a naturally flowing dialogue about safe sex is opened—the awkwardness will be passed down through generations and the problem will never be solved.

UCLA organized a study in 2009 to track the communication between parents and adolescents regarding sex. Seventy percent of boys in the study claim that they had not spoken with their parents

about safe sex before engaging in sexual activity, whereas 50 percent of the boys’ parents claimed that they had discussed the topic with their children. The perception between parents and children is clearly skewed.

And, bringing up the topic once and being done with it is not nearly enough either. A meaningful discussion needs to be fluid and ongoing with all sides involved.

Of the families surveyed in the UCLA study, a higher percentage of teens in families that discussed safe sex said that they made much more informed decisions about their sexual activities.

The statistics speak for themselves; it is definitely worth having the “talk.”

Facebook freak-out not warranted

F

acebook should not be seen as a cesspool of inappropriate communications between high school students and faculty. Yet the reality is that some Florida school districts, like Manatee and Lee, do not believe that students and teachers should be communicating via social networks like Facebook, on the basis that it is unprofessional and potentially hazardous reputation for the school. What school boards do not understand is that if they want high school students to grow up, they need to stop making rules that show how much they mistrust students’ actions outside of school.

High school is a critical time for teenagers. It is the gray area where students balance between adolescence and adulthood. While students have four years to contemplate this, they also must juggle their studies and important social time. Facebook acts as the Elmer’s glue that holds friends, families and mutual acquaintances together. Yet when teachers become involved, things can

get complicated.

The school board of Manatee County decided that students and teachers were not fit to communicate online appropriately without causing trouble for the school itself. Their policy stated that parental permission was needed for students and teachers to communicate via Facebook. They also prohibited cell phone and email communication.

According to Manatee County, as well as Lee County and others, adults and teenagers have not proven themselves fit for good behavior in and outside of the classroom. Freedom of speech is not the big issue here—even if it would be the best argument against these restrictive policies.

Facebook itself is not being restricted, just the communications between students and the teachers who use it.

All through middle school, teachers told students that high school was the next big leap. They told their pre-teens that high school was a place for adult behavior and work, and that it would be the best—and cheapest—transition into

the real world. Then when high school does arrive, everything changes. Teens are still treated as children, though, and given no chance of being taken seriously.

For Seminole County, there are no written policies about Facebook use, yet some teachers on campus have stated that they would only communicate with students through the social network once they have graduated, just to be safe.

The district’s policy is broad, but it is not specific to Facebook itself. Which is good, because such precautions are wholly unnecessary for maturing adults who know right from wrong.

If administration and school boards expect to share a school campus with young adults, then it is about time that they started treating teens as such.

Facebook is not the gateway to chaos and negative scandals that school boards make it out to be. Rather, it acts as an easy and efficient way for students to communicate with their teachers when the situation calls for it.

-Sam Salinas, Graphics Editor

The Leek

Your monthly dose of satirical reporting

Pain at the printer—ink prices reach an all-time high Justin Moser, Opinions Editor

L

ate last week, several of the world’s top ink-producing countries organized a meeting in Beijing. The attending countries—India and China among the most powerful present—organized a new multinational union: the League of Ink Producing and Exporting Countries, or LIPEC. The newly created league’s first order of business was to draw up blueprints for a worldwide ink exporting embargo. LIPEC has yet to say why they created the embargo, but they have hinted that it is to protest the digitization of the world’s media.

The recent ink embargo has sent the education systems and governments of the world into a frenzy as nations scramble to stockpile ink. With the flow of ink suddenly dammed, materials to manufacture essential education and bureaucratic products such as pens, highlighters and printer ink cartridges are in scarce supply.

Prices for what relatively little ink is available have shot through the roof to new highs. The New York Times reports that prices for a 16mL ink cartridge amounts to roughly $4,300 per gallon, while other cartridges are estimated to be at $8,000 per gallon, according to arstechnica.com.

The high ink prices leave the future of an already insecure United States education system—dependent on ink to print work on—in even more uncertain hands. Places like Europe are also suffering from the stemmed supply of printer ink but are optimistic for possible ink substitutes.

Stateside, a crack-team of government-funded research and development engineers are currently in a race to find a suitable ink substitute before irreversible damage is done to the education system and economy. Currently, one of the best candidates is white-out, priced at a mere $25.42 per gallon.

However, paper mills would be forced to switch to printing black paper. The price tag of such a switch leaves the shortterm cost-effectiveness of white-out in question, but long-term estimates are optimistic.

The other top contender for ink substitute is a modified form of petroleum. Yes, gasoline. Price per volume for gasoline—at roughly $3.50 per gallon—easily bests the other candidates, making it the most cost-effective choice to put in America’s inkjet printers.

Diplomatic negotiations with nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are currently underway in order to secure extra barrels of oil for use in printers. A meeting with members of LIPEC is also being held at a special summit in Geneva, Switzerland in an effort to negotiate an end to the embargo so that the black-magenta-yellow-cyan gold can flow freely once again.

Stateside, consumers are feeling the pain as ink prices burn holes right through their pockets. In an effort to deaden the pain caused by the ink recession, watchdog groups looking for the biggest savings on printer ink to pass onto customers have sprung up on almost every major news network.

But are all these efforts too little too late? The dilemma is on the brink of collapse, but those working to better the situation think things will turn out all right.

YESNO

THE

opinions “[End-of-course exams] give students an important objective and incentive to study, and it prepares them for the future.”

Are end-of-course exams a good idea?

“One hour spent on an exam shows nothing more than a student’s ability to study, to stress and to regurgitate information.”

-Sarah Casagrande, News Editor

-Wil Egan, Staff Reporter

Q

uarterly exams have always been stressful for students; assignments seem much more daunting when it is worth 20 percent of your grade. Exams were never meant to be a stressful ordeal, though. Exams worth 20 percent are advantageous because they challenge students and prepare them for the future.

Exams were meant to be a simpler way to assess students’ academic progress than statewide standardized testing. They allow teachers to administer meaningful tests for students that still measure their learning curve. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 helped create and reinforce statewide testing that would ensure every child was adequately taught throughout their schooling. End-of-course exams are part of this national education initiative that allows both teachers and the state to review a student’s progress.

Standardized tests have become less popular than exams, despite allowing schools to objectively assess students’ progress through statewide tests. This is good for students, though, because it means that teachers administer locally developed tests that can be adjusted to fit the class curriculum.

Locally developed tests allow teachers to create more relevant tests to challenge students in the areas they want to make sure students understood. This means that teachers can identify weak areas of a student’s education and take action to prevent the student from falling behind.

Exams are meant to challenge students to remember the topics that they have learned throughout the year, not to overload them with new information. Students are encouraged to complete their work and to prepare for exams; the only problem is when students are lazy and refuse to apply themselves.

Students should appreciate exams. These tests give them an objective. Without exams, students forget valuable information because there is simply no incentive to remember the material.

The class’s information is never going to be used again, so why bother?

Since exams only cover what students have already studied, the problem should not be with the weight of the grade—exams are often not very difficult and some teachers give projects instead. Honestly, students should start getting used to heavily weighted tests if they plan on getting any education beyond a high school diploma.

Post-secondary education requires students to take end-ofcourse exams to graduate. Students need to learn to be able to absorb and retain information, so it is important for students to learn this skill quickly to prepare them for future education and work. Many colleges do not make the exam worth 20 percent of a class’s grade; it is either pass or fail.

End-of-course exams should continue to be an integral part of a class’s grade. It gives students an important objective and incentive to study, and it prepares them for the future.

Twenty percent exams will always be a vital part of high school education.

13

E “An exam enco mpassing the w hole curriculum too much for [b can be ad test-takers] to handle. Plus study for and re it’s hard to member somet hing you went beginning of th over at the e year.”

—Brandon Lo pina, 11

but the long run, “It’s good in be ld ou sh t en ffer something di ly or po ne is doing given if someo in a class.” t, 12 —Travenor Ken

“I don’t th ink it’s fa ir to have count for finals 20 percen t because people aren some ’t the best at taking te —Savanna sts.”

Schulte, 10

e r grade. I’v cent of you er as p w 0 4 al e n b fi ould s. One “Exams sh ent] classe as a al-enrollm u nt. It serves [d ce o er tw p 0 5 had as w er dy.” the oth actually stu 40 percent, centive to in r te et b 11 much ichardson, —Keanu R

“[A 20 percent weighting] is ba d because it makes or brea ks a grade.”

—Amanda John son, 11

very semester, students spend several hundred hours in school, memorizing physics equations and interpreting Shakespeare’s works. All this work and effort only accounts for 80 percent of students’ grades. The remaining 20 percent comes from a single quarterly exam. What if passing the class depended on it?

As part of Florida’s Next Generation Strategic Plan, which aims to make student testing more uniform and efficient, endof-course exams will be slowly phased in over the next several years. There are currently three computerized end-of-course exams: Algebra I, Geometry and Biology. The Geometry and Biology exams count for 30 percent of students’ grades. If the students taking the Algebra I exam, they fail the class and all of the effort they put into that class was for nothing.

A single exam is not an accurate measure for determining such a large part of a grade; not all students excel at test taking.

When students have multiple tests per semester and do poorly on one, they have several other weighted grades to fall back on. A final exam does not offer that luxury; a poor grade on an exam can cause up to a 20 point drop. This adds additional stress to their exams.

Even for students who perform well on tests, exams can still be daunting. Hours of study guides and in-class reviews are manageable for one exam, but when students have between four and seven exams crammed into a one-week period, it is too much for most to handle. With so many classes to focus on, students are forced to pay less attention to some exams when it comes to preparation, which results in a lower grade for that class.

More exams are expected to be added in the following years.

An end-of-course exam for American History is currently being field tested at another school, and a Civics exam is expected to be field tested next year.

All of these tests are computerized, which can be an issue for students who are unfamiliar with them. In addition, in case a data crash occurs, written tests must be created as a backup, which costs schools extra money.

With so much importance placed on end-of-semester exams, some states have explored other alternatives. In New Jersey, students who do not pass their exams can instead show a “portfolio” of work in order to pass their classes; 11.5 percent of New Jersey’s seniors have earned their diplomas this way.

Projects assigned at the end of the grading period remove the stress of an exam and allow students to space out their work over a period of weeks, not hours. Some consider it an easier road to graduation, but these alternative assessment methods demonstrate students’ ability to understand the material for the class–something that an exam cannot always prove.

There are dozens of ways to access a student’s performance in their classes. Portfolios and projects provide ways for students to actively research and learn the material as well as maintain their grade. One hour spent on an exam shows nothing more than a student’s ability to study, stress and regurgitate information.

14 sports shorts  BASKETBALL WINS DISTRICT TITLE

Senior Cartree Pettis photo by Isabelle Sarnek

The boys varsity basketball team won a second straight 8A district 2 title on Saturday, Feb. 11, as they crushed Lake Brantley, 64-33. Junior Luke Doyle led the team with 18 points, and senior Ira Smith added 15. The team (20-6) will host a regional playoff game against Flagler Palm Coast (21-5) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. “We’re on a mission. We won’t take ay teams lightly,” senior forward Aaron Bodager said.

 GIRLS BASKETBALL DEFEATS LYMAN

On Jan. 19, the girls varsity basketball team played against Lyman for one of the biggest games of their season. Junior Mariah Gaines scored a total of 18 points, bringing her team up after they were down by 9 points at half time. The team won the game with the score of 49-47. The overall record of the season for the girls basketball team was 6-17.

 BOYS SOCCER WINS SENIOR NIGHT

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On Jan. 18, the boys varsity soccer team defeated Trinity Prep 3-2 for their seventh win of the season. Senior Kyle Leatherman and sophomore Marcos Arroyo both scored points in the first half. Senior Adam Tran scored the last goal of the game. Their overall record was 7-9-2.

CHEER PLACES 8TH AT NATIONALS

On Feb. 11, the varsity cheer team placed eigth out of the 20 teams in their subdivison in the UCA National Championships. The championships were held at Disney’s MGM Studios, and the team competed in the Indiana Jones Stadium from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

SOFTBALL MERCY-RULES OVIEDO

On Thursday, Feb. 9, varsity softball beat Oviedo 12-1. Pitcher Sam Worrel only allowed one run to the visiting Lions and hit a home run, and sophomore Alex Miller scored four runs and had four RBIs. The team is 5-0 to start the season.

sports

JV soccer paves path to perfection

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hen sophomore Ulises Zeferino-Jaramillo scored a tying goal with two seconds left in the Nov. 21 game agaist Lyman, it helped preserve a second season for the JV boys soccer team. Along with the 4-4 tie in the game, the team stayed undefeated during the regular season, an accomplishment only one other soccer team in the county could claim.

“You have to expect to do this well, or you’re just setting yourself up for the opposite,” boys JV soccer head coach Nate Connell said.

Connell attributed the team’s success to passion for the sport and great team chemistry that he said was “contagious.”

“The boys worked harder in training than any other team and have remained passionate to learn more each day,” Connell said. “They made it a goal, which we wrote down. ‘Make yourself a better player today than you were yesterday’.”

Boys JV soccer team captain sophomore Kyle Ings felt that the brotherhood the team developed contributed to their wins.

“I personally felt like our season went better than I could have asked for,” Ings said. “We had a great team this year and I was proud to lead them.”

Boys JV soccer player sophomore Kevin Marin, a midfielder and the team’s top scorer, thought the wins gave his team confidence to continue on.

“The main reason we had an undefeated season was because we never gave up,” Marin said. “In many games, the other team scored on us first, but we never gave up and eventually that led us to winning our games.”

In one game, the team beat Oviedo, 5-0, an emotional victory since Oviedo is

photo by DSP

Perfect pass. Freshman midfielder Charles Lynch takes a shot at the goal during a home game against Lake Howell. He was one of three freshmen on the team.

their archrival, and in another beat Lake Brantley, 4-0, a top team in the district and usually a difficult team to face. They also beat Edgewater, 4-0, and finished their regular season with 11 wins and four ties.

Twins John and Charles Lynch were the two freshmen starters on the team, with Charles scoring a goal. Another freshman, John Sawyer, shifted between mid-field and defense. Other freshman, like Chris Connelly, who scored a goal in their final game of the season, saw more playing time as the season came to a close.

The team finished the season at the Lyman Tournament Jan. 20-21, and beat the only other undefeated team, Bishop Moore, 3-1. However, they lost their second game to Lake Howell, 1-3, a

crushing blow to the end of the season.

“We beat [Lake Howell] both times in the season, which led us to being overconfident and taking the game easy, which was a huge mistake,” Marin said. “It was very sad knowing we were out of the tournament and Lake Howell ended up winning it all.”

Despite the loss, many of the JV boys will have to look at the prospect of varsity next season, as much of the varsity team will graduate this May. “We have a good line this year,” sophomore Wyatt Brooks said. “I am confident that the success of the players moving up will continue on into their varsity career.”

-Matilda von Kalm, Staff Reporter

15

sports The Word of Seanovan Dual-sport lifters benefit from ‘secondary’ sport Sean Donovan, Sports Editor

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eightlifting is considered a secondary sport. Most athletes get involved to prepare for their ‘real’ sport, whether it is football, lacrosse, track or something else. However, with an increase in the numbers, especially from the members of the girls track team, the girls weightlifting team has reached levels of success that many of their primary teams have not.

The team managed to finish second in the SAC conference, their highest finish in program history.

Sophomores Corrine Duren, Kiley Dechau, junior Christine Downs, Sheri Menna and senior Alyssa Younker qualified for the sectional round. It was there that they broke personal records. Downs set a personal record with a 225 lb. total lift and Dechau set a personal record with a 125 lb. bench press.

Menna advanced to the state level in the 183 pound weight class and senior Alyssa Younker placed high in the sectionals round, but did not qualify for states for her own weight class.

In the regular season, the team saw ups and downs but tried to stay on the positive side with wins like the one over Lake Howell, 47-31.

Since other sports were going through their conditioning sessions while the weightlifting team proceeded through their regular season, lifters readying for the second sport became far easier. This is because the girls had to push and pressure themselve more during weightlifting than conditioning, which is more of a warm up to the season and does not require the effort level of an in-season sport, like weightlifting.

Those who run track say that weightlifting is solid conditioning for the spring sport, which begins just as the weightlifting season ends. Weightlifting adds to their strength and stamina, which is very helpful at not only meets but also their practice.

While there are many track athletes on the team, there are other girls who star in different sports. Junior Christine Downs plays on the girls varsity lacrosse team. Sophomore Kiley Dechau, one of the best underclassmen on the team, plays on the varsity softball team. Both of these girls have served as a backbone for the team, as they were two of the most consistent lifters throughout the season.

For the most part, weightlifting served as the second sport for the girls. Though they devoted serious time the sport, it does not top the list as the sport of their dreams.

Downs’s true passion lies for lacrosse, Dechau’s for softball and Duren’s for golf. All of them agree that weightlifting has improved their level of play in their own sport and built upon their muscle mass for durability.

For the time being, though, weightlifting is critical in the growth and condition of the athleticism for the other girls. The strength they gain in weightlifting rolls over onto their regular sport and puts them ahead of girls who just partake in conditioning.

Hell Week prepares teams for season

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s athletes, many players find that the most difficult part of the sport is the fitness requirement.

In order to meet the criteria for stamina, the baseball team and both lacrosse teams went through a week of conditioning referred to as Hell Week. Each of the three teams endured stadium runs, sprints and other endurance drills that would better prepare them for the upcoming season.

Despite the buildup, these “Hell Weeks” did not provide too much hell for the athletes who participated in them.

Girls lacrosse and the baseball team suffered Jan. 9-13 while the boys lacrosse team had two weeks, Jan. 15-20 and Jan. 23-27. Many players found that the hype was greater than the actual training.

The girls’ team ran two miles and did stadium runs every day. On the final day, all the girls had to gut it out as it was the toughest day of the week, running eight stadiums and culminating a 15-mile total of running. For a sport with no cuts, it acted as a way to weed out those that would not be able to handle the competitiveness of the regular season.

“I’m not going to say that the running was easy, but I felt better prepared for it this year. I’ve been doing it for so long

that I’m used to it by now,” senior lacrosse player Cristina Key said. “If you were out of shape, it was hard. It just depended on what you did on the offseason.”

The baseball team had a similar experience, but it was just “bunched together,” junior baseball player Stephen Jackson said. Their ‘week’ was actually only three days long.

“We condition so that we can be in better shape than the other team, which could be the difference between winning the game and losing it,” Jackson said.

“Running is part of every sport—it’s something that you have to do.”

The boys lacrosse team had a slightly different experience. Their Hell Week lasted two weeks and occurred right before tryouts. They also had more weightlifting involved as well as mile-bleachers, where the boys had to run the big bleachers, then run part of the track, run the other side of the bleachers and continue doing so until a mile had been completed.

“Everyone complained about it, but in the end you were just getting ready for the season,” senior lacrosse player Lucas Wainman said. “The worst part was an hour and a half of stadiums which wasn’t that bad.”

photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Running on a dream. Junior Christopher Prendergast runs on the track during Hell Week, part of the stadium runs that lacrosse players had to do.

Hell week gives the players a look into what the season entails. Each of these sports requires players to be prepared for many games in one week. Endurance and hard work are necessary to participate in all sports. Hell Week is just the beginning.

-Darbi Filliben, Staff Reporter

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