The BluePrint - Volume 8, Issue 4 by Hagerty Journalism

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

INDEX

the

blueprint

Band inauguration.......2 Circus stars................5 Violence in society.....8-9 New Fantasyland.......11 Girl’s soccer...............14

volume 8, issue 4

Feb.�27, 2012

Fantastic finish leads to second Final Four

Spencer Thompson Staff Reporter ith 20 seconds left on the clock in the second overtime and the boys basketball team down one point to Wekiva in the regional ﬁnals, coach Josh Kohn called a play for forward Luke Doyle to act as a decoy and set a screen for forward Logan Hovey to take the shot. However, Doyle found the play defended, so he decided to “improvise.” With nine seconds left, Doyle drove through two defenders and forced in a game-winning layup. After Wekiva’s desperation shot missed, the crowd stormed the court to celebrate the team’s 54-53 victory and return to the Final Four.

“We weren’t going to lose,” Doyle said. “That’s what I kept saying.” In the ﬁrst overtime, Doyle had a steal and two key free throws to put the team up by three, but a three-point buzzer beater by Wekiva’s Ruben Monroe sent the game into a second overtime. The ﬁrst half of regulation was just how the team had been playing all year: fast paced and high scoring, with the boys leading 31-27 at the half. The second half, however, the team had to adjust to Wekiva’s slower paced, more defensive style of photo by Anesu Mucherera play and had to “grind it out” in order to win the game. “We had to play like Wekiva did,” Kohn said. “We were a little bit tougher and we were able to play their way and grind it out.”

W photo by Devin Becker

The team used last year’s loss in the state ﬁnals as a learning experience heading into this season. The team set a goal at the beginning of the season to make a repeat run at the title. Going into district play, the team was 21-4. Their successful regular season allowed them to accomplish their preseason goal and meet expectations. “There was never a time in the season where we realized we were going to make another run at states,” center Daniel Loh said. “We knew from the beginning we were going to make a statement.” The team is going to the Final Four for the second time in a row. However, this is not the same team as last year. They have larger goals and

Park Sidewalk things to do this month  Winter Art Festival

 Wicked

 Universal’s Mardi Gras

[Feb. 20 - March 10] Musical presented at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. Watch the story before Dorothy where the spotlight shines on two witches.

[Feb. 9 - April 20] Lively music, French Quarter food, and a nightly parade. Musical performances on select nights. Tickets cost $75.

larger expectations. “We aren’t just here to have fun,” Doyle said. “The atmosphere is completely different; it’s more serious. It is kind of like a business trip this time around.” All of the expectations and all of the hopes come down to Friday night when the team takes on Deerﬁeld Beach at the Lakeland Civic Center. No matter who the team is and what their style of play is, the team will come ready. “We either have one game left or two. That’s it, so I know we’re as prepared as we can be,” Kohn said. “I know if we half to play a shootout we can do that, and if we have to play this grind-it-out, defensive game, we can do that too.”

 Taste of Oviedo

[Mar. 15 - Mar. 17] View some of the best art in the area including clay, digital art, jewelry, painting and photography. Admission is free.

Food Truck Crazy

[March 9] From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. come out and try a variety of foods from all over Oviedo, with fireworks beginning at 7 p.m. There will also be a Citrus and Celery cook off at noon.

[March 15] Starting at 5 p.m. at the Oviedo Marketplace mall, there will be a food truck social. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the gourmet foods offered by different vendors.

news 2 Band members join Boston Crusaders

photo provided by Carter Richard

At attention. Senior Carter Richard, middle, waits for orders at the presidential inauguration parade. Richard is part of the Boston Crusades in Drum Corps.

Winnie Meyer

Staff Reporter

enior Carter Richard looked up from his contra to see President Barack Obama waving down at him and the rest of the Boston Crusaders. Richard was marching in

the Inaugural Parade. “The parade was awesome. It was the best thing I’ve ever done,” Richard said. “It was freezing cold, my muscles were locking up, and it was hard to hold my horn, but it was completely worth it because I got the chance to see Obama.”

what’s news?

BOOSTERS RAISE $5,000 IN THE HUSKY TROT The Athletic Booster Club hosted the eighth annual Husky Trot on Feb. 9. Members from all of the athletic teams as well as members of the community participated in the 5K around the school. This event raised over $5,000 that will be used to help fund athletics. MU ALPHA THETA HOLDS PIE FUNDRAISER Mu Alpha Theta pie day sales started on Feb. 19. Students can choose the size and flavor of their pies. A small pie costs $7 and a large pie costs $11. in order to buy a pie, fill out an application from a Mu Alpha Theta member or a math teacher. TV PRODUCTION HOSTS ICE AWARDS ON MARCH 1 TV Production will host the sixth annual ICE Awards on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Students have made videos, trailers, music videos, etc. throughout the year and will be awarded during the ceremony. Tickets will be sold during both lunches for $5 and at the door for $6. YOUTH PALS RAISES $63000 IN AUTISM WALK Youth PALS partnered with the UCF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities as it hosted its fourth annual Hearts For Autism Walk. The event took place on Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. Over 400 walkers registered and helped raise over $6,300 for the 5,800 plus individuals in Central Florida with autism or related disorders. ZUMBATHON TO BENEFIT AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Leadership paired with The American Heart Association to raise money to fight Heart Disease. The event took place on Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. Instructors volunteered to teach a class that not only allowed people to exercise but taught them necessary things to save their hearts.

The Inaugural Parade was one of the benefits that came to Richard when he and senior Austin Parcell tried out for the Blue Coats National Drum Corps in Atlanta. Unfortunately, neither Richard nor Parcell made the final cut, but both have found plenty of other marching opportunities. “I had auditioned for Boston Crusaders beforehand as a secondary, and when I didn’t make the Blue Coats, I told Carter about it and we both went up to Bradenton in December,” Parcell said. However, this time, Parcell and Richard both made it and are now officially members of the Boston Crusaders Drum Corps training camp, a professional marching band that will tour the east coast. “From the outside, it feels so much different,” Richard said. “You look at it and all you really see is the corps performing. You don’t see

what’s beyond that. You don’t see the people in it, and you don’t see the fun you have hanging out with them.” Though they have fun, drum corps do work. Members attend three day weekend practices throughout the season before they even begin the summer tour. Practice for the Boston Crusaders begins with 15 minutes of stretches then continues with a three hour full brass line block, three hour sectional, a break for lunch, visual practice until dinner and a five hour block of full brass. The day finally ends with a break for snack, showers and lights out. “You’re never ready for work like this. It’s difficult,” Parcell said. “There are points where you don’t want to be there and you just want to give up.” But just why do young adults across the country give themselves up to hours of marching in the sun for over half a year?

“It’s an activity I’m a fan of; I like marching in shows and I like going to shows. You know, if I can, why not?” Parcell said. Even if the work is worth the experience, members of DCI are missing some elements from home. Members miss mattresses, sleep and hot showers above everything else. “We got lucky because there were single showers at this camp we went to in Baltimore,” Parcell said. “But they were all like 30 degrees.” Throughout the Inauguration, camps and difﬁcult conditions are never to be forgotten, what Richard and Parcell have been taught through DCI burns brighter than both. “The things that you learn in drum corps are really important life lessons, and I feel so much prouder of myself as a person, it’s an incredibly difﬁcult activity and not everyone can do it,” Richard said. “To be able to say that I can do it is really cool.”

Bathroom defilement rises Keith Clowney

Staff Reporter

ay one day you have been holding it forever. After class you run to the bathroom, but you look up to see a giant smiley face on the wall and it is not made with brown paint. Bathroom problems are extremely common and the bathrooms usually have urine on the floor or all over the toilet seat, or there might be an overflowed toilet. Sophomore John Nicho said that the smiley face seemed funny but it was really disgusting. Vandalism occurs throughout most of the bathrooms around school. Explicit words or messages, scratched drawings, displacement of feces, and graffiti can be found on the stalls and walls. “A student once spray painted a picture on the tiles. There is currently a beautiful picture of a stallion in one of the stalls,” said chemistry teacher, Romina Jannotti. Usually the only problem is how unsanitary the bathrooms are. One of the most common problems is a

clogged toilet tissue is usually used to clog toilets or it is thrown all over a stall, or missing completely. “I have seen other unsanitary bathrooms. I’ve seen toilet paper unrolled and thrown all over,” Jannotti said. Nearly every single handicap stall door is unable to close because the door has been flipped. Few bathrooms have soap or paper towels, or the supplies are scattered on the floor or spread on the walls. “Bored students do these things if they are allowed to roam unchecked,” said Jannotti. Students who are bored are usually the ones that will tamper with stalls or with students that are in the stalls. Every day there is a bathroom with some issues on the school campus, but nothing is done about it. “Students continue to destroy receptacles and spray soap all over the bathrooms when they are refilled,” Assistant principal and supervisor of the janitorial staff Christy Bryce said. Bryce says it is impossible to keep up with because as we refill them, students empty them, destroy them and ruin the toilets by putting paper

photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Potty Language. Bathrooms in the upperhouse buildings display explicit words and vandalism. The bathrooms throughout the school are often defiled with different writings, drawings and graffiti.

towels down them. While it is tough to catch offenders, the consequences depend on what has been damaged. “We have not caught anyone this year, but they would have to pay restitution to have everything repaired and painted,” Bryce said. According to Bryce there is some sort of disciplinary consequence for defacing school property/vandalism.

3 Underclassmen register for new courses news

Daniel Neveras

Reviews Editor

umanities, Team Sports, Culinary Arts. The options of courses available can often overwhelm students. With the addition of new and career-based courses, however, the selection of classes for next year has become even more difficult. The introduction of career-based courses from the ePathways initiative has been an effort to help prepare students for the “real world” after high school and college. The initiative is new to Seminole County and allows students to choose electives that are not restricted to regular school hours and extend across every county campus. Students may be able to take a course completely online or they may choose to take them after school hours at select campuses. “We’re attempting to provide students more training related to a

greater variety of career choices,” lower house guidance counselor Jeff Siskind said. Some of the new courses are directly linked to a career field through the ePathways initiative. Auto Body and Refinishing, for example, shows students how to work on and fix automobiles and is available at Oviedo. Likewise, Grooming and Salon Services can be taken at Lake Brantley and is an introduction to cosmetology for students, as it allows students to learn the arts of skin and body maintenance. Students who excel at this course can consider the follow-up course, Cosmetology II. “The ePathways program allows students an opportunity to take career education courses that would otherwise be unavailable,” dean Michael Hunter said. Other new courses for the 201314 school year include Agricultural Science, a science credit that teaches the basics of pest management as well

as agricultural maintenance, and the Foundation to Robotics is a course that introduces artificial intelligence and robotic automation to students. “Our objective at Hagerty is to provide students with choices in their education,” Hunter said, “We believe that our new courses provide students with exciting career opportunities.” Current electives have also undergone some changes for next year. Both Humanities I and Humanities II have been stripped of their performing arts credit. Likewise, Computing for College and Careers is now only available through the use of Seminole County Virtual School. “Typically, courses are changed when there is not enough demand or the state course code requires some modifications,” Siskind said. Even electives students have become accustomed to have been removed. Drawing I and II have been replaced by 2-D Studio Art II and III. Likewise, former courses Ceramics I

and II and Painting I and II have been disposed of in favor of 3-D Studio Art II and III. Other courses that have been removed include Contemporary History, Spanish for Spanish Speakers, and Comprehensive Theater II. With the addition of the new courses, administration hopes to make the high school chapter in students’ lives a memorable one. “We as a faculty are always looking to make our students’ high school experience as enriching and as valuable as possible,” Hunter said. If students regret a course they originally signed up for in the media center on Feb. 14-15, there is no need to panic. Online student registration will begin in May to confirm or correct choices made on the registration cards. The option for students to select and change their courses on Skyward will be available until the deadline of June 1.

Scheduling Timeline Feb. 14-15 Students signed up for courses in the media center May 1 Tentative course requests available online through Skyward June 1 Last Day to request a schedule change

Debate travels to Harvard for competition

photo by Julie Love

Writing the case. Seniors Jacob Shuman, Taylor Simeca, Chris Reilly and junior Rachel Nessiem go over their debate cases with veteran debater Jim Daniels. The teams competed against nationally ranked debaters on the economic rise of China.

Matilda von Kalm Managing Editor ith top three rankings in the past monthly tournaments leading up to it, hours spent arguing cases on Supreme Count rulings, economic dependency and foreign policy, and pages of research read and reread the night before, one debate tournament superseded all the rest, and it’s happened to be held at the

most prestigious law university in the nation. On Feb. 15 at the crack of dawn, seniors Taylor Scimeca, Chris Reilly and Jacob Shuman and junior Rachel Nessiem got on a 7:30 a.m. flight to Cambridge, Mass. where they spent the next three days at Harvard University debating other teams from around the nation about the rise of China and if it is or is not the in the best interest for the United States. “It was eye opening to debate

a team that had previously won Nationals,” Nessiem said. “The debaters up here were intense compared to the local kids we faced.” Nessiem, who was partnered with Shuman, went home from Harvard with a record of 3-3 in public forum, the event that both debate partnerships competed in. After initially going undefeated in their first two rounds, debate captains Scimeca and Reilly went 2-4. “It wasn’t the outcome we expected,” Scimeca said. “Initially, it was shocking and frustrating to go from quadrupling our losses from the whole year in a two day time span, but each loss was a learning experience.” Though the Harvard Invitational was open invitation, the team members could not just decide to attend. To even be considered, each of the four students had to submit an application to debate teacher Julie Love and meet her qualifications. “They needed letters of recommendation from two of their teachers and had to answer questions dealing with their role on the team, their contributions and their

worthiness to attend the tournament,” Love said. After Scimeca, Reilly, Nessiem and Shuman were chosen to attend, they had to wait until Jan. 1 to receive their topic for the public forum event, leaving them only a little over a month to prepare for the tournament. “I’m on the executive board of four honors societies and work a parttime job, and Chris had soccer every day, so finding a time that worked for both of us was tough,” Scimeca said. “We ended up working independently and then collaborated.” Love, who has now attended the Harvard Invitational twice, always had confidence that her debate team would do well in the tournament. “The students who got to go to the Harvard Invitational are the best of the best,” Love said. “From their past tournament records I knew that they had the ability to go pretty far, but for me it’s more about the experience they get out of this.” During their downtime, the team enjoyed sightseeing at Cambridge and walking the halls of Harvard. “We went into a bookstore called

‘The Coop’ and there were about 20 men on the second floor dressed up as women singing and dancing about the history of the United States,” Shuman said. “It was quite a spectacle.” Throughout the debate tournament season, all four members had become close, adding to the excitement of attending the Harvard Invitational together. “All the debate team varsity members are really close because we were all in the same tournament class last year,” Nessiem said. “I look up to the captains, Chris and Taylor, as my mentors. We all try to help each other win, as long as it’s against the other teams.” The next big competition is the Grand Finals, which will begin in March, but preparation for it starts now. “We’re going to take the experiences that we had here at Harvard and we’re going to use the techniques and tactics picked up here in the Grand Finals,” Reilly said. “The next time we see these same debate teams we saw at Harvard we’re going to win.”

4 news Mu Alpha Theta solves equation for success Ryan O’Connor

Staff Reporter

magine seeing a long list of logarithms and getting excited instead of confused. Imagine spending free time solving difficult math problems. Imagine enjoying the endless search for what “x” equals. This dream becomes reality for freshman Addait Vyas when every time he competes with the Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society. In their first competition, held at Lake Mary High School on Jan. 21, the group placed second out of nine schools, and senior Eric Anschuetz placed fifth in the calculus division. “[The competitions] can get pretty competitive and intense,” freshman Cameron Yap said. In the second competition at Sun Coast High School in Rivera Beach on Feb. 2, all of the teams placed in the top ten out of the 450 students that

attended this competition. The teams were able to excel in the Calculus, Algebra II and PreCalculus divisions, while Anschuetz individually finished second out of all of the competitors in Calculus. The team meets every Wednesday after school in order to prepare. They try to focuse on material that they believe will appear in future competition and often take practice tests that not only help them in competitons, but in their classes as well. This material is much more advanced than the material that they are taught in class so they gain a better understanding of course material and are better prepared. The club studies and prepares by taking practice tests which cover the material that can appear in the competition as well as thier math classes that they take at school. The club also covers previous tests that they have taken to help better prepare

and find areas to focus. The placement tests help the club determine who will be participating in what divisions during the competition. “It is more enjoyable when you have three people who are working together on one problem,” junior Brad Bentz said. Bentz likes how he gets the opportunity to work as a team and show how much he has learned and compare it to that of other schools that he competes against. The group has competitions every two to four weeks with their next one on March 2 at Seminole High School. Their season concludes with a the state competion on April 21 in downtown Orlando. They went to the state competition last year and are hoping to make it there again April 21 in downtown Orlando. Their goal is to place more students in the top then than they have ever before.

Complete Your Application Process

seminolestate.edu/apply | 407.708.2050

photo by Isablelle Sarnek

Adding up the wins. Senior Adam Berlinksi accepts a trophy after a Mu Alpha Theta competition. The team found success after a few years of competition.

lifestyles

Trampoline athletes fly for Soleil Lexi Rossow Business Manager People search throughout their lives for quotes that they can live their life by, such as “it soon will pass,” “Hakuna Matata,” or more commonly lately, “YOLO.” But instead of these clichés, Junior Katie Loveland and seniors Ali Parsons and Sarah Johnson live by their own motto: “just fly.” Loveland, Parsons, and Johnson attend Orlando Circus School to practice their two high-flying sports: traditional and wall trampoline. As well as trampoline, Parsons also trains in aerial silks and hoops at the school. When their gymnastics coach retired at Broadway Gymnastics, they went in search for a new gym to train at, and found the Orlando Circus School on Orange Blossom Trail. The three girls fell in love with the gym, including their inspirational Russian coaches. “Our coaches are the ones who coined the term, ‘just fly,’ in place of the Nike slogan ‘Just do it,’” Loveland said. “Like, when we need

to just go for a trick and enjoy the rush of it.” All three girls perform traditional trampoline, a type of competition sport that is performed at the summer Olympics. Training for traditional trampoline requires a rigorous gymnastic background and coordination. These athletes perform baranis, rudis, back-540s, and ﬂiffuses. “Ali, Sarah and I were looking for a place to take trampoline and tumbling classes,” Loveland said. “We sort of stumbled across our gym and fell in love with it.” Wall trampoline requires the same skills for traditional trampoline, except with a wall and daring adrenaline. The athletes must bounce on a trampoline pushed up against the wall, diving into little windows cut into the wall or balancing on the edge above the trampoline. All tricks performed on the wall trampoline include, of course, a wall: running on the wall, juggling people on the wall, diving off the wall, back ﬂips off the wall, falling off the roof on the wall, and twisting on the wall. “My favorite part is wall

trampoline. It opens so many doors to innovation and creativity,” Loveland said. These movements for both trampoline routines require coordination and core strength, encouraging a rigorous work-out lifestyle followed by these three girls. “We condition every practice and also have a personal responsibility to keep in the shape at home,” Loveland said. “It’s disappointing when the only thing stopping us from learning a new skill is strength.” Johnson, Parsons and Loveland perform in showcases every six months for Cirque Du Soleil managers and other circus recruits. “Cirque du Soleil requires a high level of technical ability, which is why not many people can do it.” senior Sarah Johnson said. “But that’s like, the highest you can go, and we all want to.” The three girls want to continue training at their school and later try for a performing role at the multiple amusement parks in Orlando. They eventually want to join a circus or perform in Cirque De Soleil for their ﬁnal goals.

Just fly. Sarah Johnson performs a her winter showcase routine on the wall trampoline last winter. Johnson, Loveland and Parsons have been training at the Orlando Circus School for a year since their career at Broadway Gymnastics.

Everyone is on a scale between the two types, but some people show more pronounced signs of one extreme than the other Although the word introvert often has a negative connotation, it simply means that these students are more comfortable with smaller surroundings of people or solitude, while “extrovert” can have a positive connotation, since those who are extroverts are usually referred to as outgoing people. “The one time I attended a large party, I ended up saying ‘forget this’ and leaving because I felt so bored and exhausted,” sophomore Harry Wise said. One misconception, however, is that introverts are extremely shy, keep to themselves or at times are very lonely. In reality they are more comfortable being alone or in a smaller surrounding of friends than a larger one. Introverts typically relax

at home or outdoors, not in busy public places or at social events such as parties. According to carlkingdom.com, if there is too much talking and noise, introverts tend to go somewhere quiet to recharge since their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is closely associated with movement, attention and the ability to learn. Introverts don’t require a lot of stimulation to feel rewarded but if they have too much they tend to feel exhausted, since they have a low dopamine threshold. “My mind is largely scientiﬁc; everything has to have a purpose which helps me learn even when I am in large groups,” Wise said. As well as behavioral and social differences, introverts also learn differently than extroverts. In school, these students would rather not interact in large group activities but smaller partner activities instead.

Introverts indulge in individual work, solitary studying and abstract ideas which consist of brainstorming, personal reﬂection and theoretical exploration. “I feel like I am in better control of what is happening and I am more able to handle the situation,” Mickler said. Along with Mickler, sophomore Tyler Trombley believes that it is ﬁne being more talkative during class when you are able to stay on task, unlike some extroverts. Introverts tend to socialize more when it is something they enjoy or when they talk while still being able to stay on task. “If a student slacks off and still talks more than necessary, I tend to avoid them,” Trombley said. Introverted students deal with learning in a variety of ways. They can either try to deal with the more talkative people in their classes or just avoid them altogether.

Staff Reporter

n an average day, introverts like sophomore Laura Mickler may prefer the company of a computer, some books and the Internet, rather than time with new friends or at a party down the street. “There is a lot more entertainment for me on the internet than your average party, and the people I have made friends with online have very similar interests to me,” Mickler said. An introvert is someone who draws more energy from being alone, while an extrovert is someone who draws energy from being around other people. In most cases introverts usually prefer creative outlooks such as art and reading and their inner mind as opposed to social students, known as extrovert,s who prefer parties.

Just say thank-you Matilda von Kalm Managing Editor

photo by Katie Loveland

Introverts socialize in school setting Lauren Lee

That Sounds Familiar...

The older I’ve gotten, the harder I’ve found it to take a compliment regardless of who it’s from. It’s gotten so bad that when a friend says I look nice, I’ll actually go out of my way to try and disprove them. Once I caught myself doing this enough times, I decided change my ways and simply respond with a “thanks.” Bad idea. Instead of the smile and a change in the direction of the conversation as I had expected, I instead got surprised looks as if it was unheard of to actually accept a compliment. It was as if I had offended the person by not bashing my self-appearance. There are great examples on social networking sites as well, the most infamous being the “selfies” posted on Facebook and Instagram. I’ve seen numerous “selfies” where girls are duckfacing or guys are showing off their post work-out body, giving every incentive for someone who scrolls past their picture to comment on their appearance. Of course, if someone does comment, the user is immediately up in arms. “I do not look great in this picture, I look fat and ugly. But if you wanted to compliment my other 456 pictures I wouldn’t be upset.” Why is this? Maybe it’s because as insecure teenagers, we feel animosity towards people with more self-confidence than us. We don’t want to show these true feelings and be labeled as shallow for feeling this way, so we automatically try and redirect the attention to someone else so we can’t be accused of being self absorbed. In a world obsessed with selfimage, we’ve learned not to let on that we care about our appearance. It’s even become unattractive to try too hard to look good, as if we have to downplay the fact that we made an effort that morning. Which is weird, because when I dress up I don’t do it to be ignored.

lifestyles 6 ADHD causes difficulties for daily tasks Haley Gaeser

Opinions Editor

n an average day at school, most students are busily doing work, but among them sit the students who are trying their hardest not to get stressed out about what they are doing. It may just be that they are really anxious or they could have ADHD. “In third grade I used to completely blackout and zone everything else out. When I came back to earth, I wouldn’t know how much time had passed, what the teacher was talking about or what we were even doing. So, yeah, I had pretty bad ADD,” said sophomore Catie Mason. Worldwide, there are approximately 5.2 million people between the ages of three and 17 who are diagnosed with attention deﬁcit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD contains three subtypes of behavior: hyperactive, inattentive (ADD) and impul-

sivity. A person can have any combination or degree of these behaviors. “I get distracted a lot and I have to consciously make myself focus on things,” Mason said. A person who has ADHD can have trouble paying attention, gets easily distracted, procrastinates, is very talkative, ﬁdgety, and is always on the go. The intensity of the symptoms depends on the person who has it. Homework that would normally take a regular student 30 minutes to complete can take someone with ADD hours because of all of the distractions going on within that student’s head. “I have never had homework to do that didn’t take me hours. It makes my head hurt sometimes,” Mason said. As a way to cope with ADD, many people take prescribed medication like Adderall which is short-acting, Metadate ER which is intermediateacting and Concerta which is long-

acting. The main side effects of all of the drugs consist of loss of appetite, weight loss and sleep loss. According to the Food and Drug Administration, taking amphetamine and methylphenidate stimulants can lead to drug abuse and may increase a person’s risk of heart and psychiatric problems later on in life. As long as the user of the medication takes the appropriate dose prescribed to them, they should not have any problems. Sophomore Erica Cannon takes medication to help deal with her ADD and the overall effect has made a difference. “It has deﬁantly helped me,” Cannon said. “I still have symptoms but it dulls them a lot.” Another way that Cannon deals with her ADD is by horseback riding. It forces her to put all of her hyper personality into making quick decisions. It has also been proven that participating in cognitive exercises have been found to produce desired changes in not only how the brain

works, but how it looks in someone who has ADD. Since people who have ADHD tend to be more impulsive rather than anticipatory thinkers, playing certain games such as checkers, a card game or certain physical activities forces them to pay attention and think fast. In addition to taking medication and relaxing activities, neurofeedback is another option for people with ADHD. Neurofeedback uses pictures to help illustrate brain waves, often with a goal of controlling central nervous system activity. “It trains your brain through games and shows how your brainwaves react to what is going on,” Mason said. With all of these techniques available, controlling ADHD has become easier to manage. Although the students who have it are going to have to work harder than everyone else to concentrate in class, with the right medication and the provided help, it can be done.

YOU

have

ADHD?

People with...

Inattentive ADHD

*lack close attention to details *are unorganized *are easily distracted *lose items easily

Hyperactivity ADHD

*fidget and squirm *have difficulty staying quiet *talk excessively *leave seat and wander

Impulsivity ADHD

*blurt out answers to questions *have difficulty waiting *interrupt other people *intrude others conversations source: asha.org

lifestyles

Designed avoid a

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 Make sure you receive a notification of your dress purchase.  Check the cancellation and refund policies. Be careful if no returns are allowed.  Confirm that your order will arrive on time. Prom dresses can take four to six weeks to ship.  Avoid huge price discrepancies. A $500 prom dress sold online for $50 can be a risk.  Use a credit card to buy online so the charges can be disputed if something goes wrong. graphics by Sarah Casagrande

Find a

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 Research the store that the dress is for sale on.  Cheap dresses can be bought on eBay but check the seller’s star rating.  Check sites such as Top Prom Websites for a list of approved stores that sell authentic dresses.  Before you buy a dress, compare its price to that of other stores to see if you can get it cheaper.  Look for authentic dress designers such as Sherri Hill and Mori Lee.

Online

More girls order prom dresses off web Sarah Casagrande Editor-in-Chief

hen it comes to prom, finding the perfect dress in a store can be tricky–it has to be the correct size, style and color even before alterations and accessories. And as students spend an average of $231, according to USA Today, to find their dream dress, it sometimes arrives not on a clothes hanger, but in a shipping box. Online prom retailers have become a popular alternative over traditional visits to boutiques. Instead of dresses being limited to the number on the rack, online retailers can offer hundreds of dresses at a time without the issue of space. “It’s so much easier,” senior Kylie Briggs said. “You don’t have that anxiety of having to go to so many different stores and trying on so many dresses. You just find the one you want, order it, and then you’re done.” Briggs decided to order her dress online because she felt that it was easier and she did not have time to go out and shop for a dress herself. While ordering online can save weeks of browsing, dresses still must be

ordered early as they can take four to six weeks to ship. Even once a dress arrives it may still need alterations. According to LoveToKnowTeens.com, prom dresses are usually made lengthwise to ﬁt a girl who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, and it is very rare to ﬁnd a dress that does not need to be hemmed. “It kind of sucks because it doesn’t come until the middle of March and if I need a different size I can’t send it back,” Briggs said. “I could have to go out last minute looking for a dress and hoping no one else had it.” While online dress retailers are convenient, not all of them are legitimate. According to Top Prom Websites, factories that sell counterfeit dresses are often located overseas and sell dresses in the U.S. to avoid copyright laws. They post photos of real dresses on their websites but what arrives in the mail is often very different. Senior Courtney Mang discovered this when she ordered a dress from a counterfeit Chinese retailer. When it arrived, not only was the dress too small, but it was the wrong shade of purple, a different fabric and contained less jewels than the dress

in the picture. “I was very disappointed and ended up returning it,” Mang said. “I have not bought another dress yet. I am planning on looking but deﬁnitely in a store.” However, these issues can be avoided if the retailer is well researched. Top Prom Websites offers a list of approved sites as well as a blacklist of illegal retailers with consumer reviews and stories. Oftentimes, the issue is that buyers are not aware of how many counterfeit dresses there really are. “I have no idea how not to get ripped off,” Briggs said. “I look more into websites as a lot of them say how many people have ordered there. I’d make sure it’s an actual website and you’ll actually get your purchase.” Yet dresses ordered off authentic websites can often be bought on sale for hundreds of dollars off. Briggs ordered a $370 dress for $139, and the huge variety that an online retailer offers can make it worth the risk. “There are many cases when ordering dresses online do work out,” senior Ashley DeLuke said. “Which is great because they’re usually cheaper.”

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Has society become too

Violent?

Media’s influence on violence questioned Ben Sorkin

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Ben

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Graphics Editor

onight at eleven…” The line is familiar to anyone who watches the nightly news. It is the introductory line every nightly newscaster will utter before they announce the top story of the day. This top story is more often than not, a story about sexual assault, murder, disaster or robbery. If you miss the televised news, there is always the newspaper or online. And even if you do not watch the news the same amount of violent content can be found in movies, TV, music or video games. The fact is that society is bombarded with violent images. Due to recent events such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the ongoing gun debate, political ﬁgures and citizens are beginning to challenge the country’s mental health and wonder if the media can be linked to violence. According to data collected by the American Psychological Association, media does indeed affect people in harmful ways. The some 200,000 violent images people see before they turn 18 can often lead to desensitization, depression and aggression, especially in young children and teens. Because the effects of media can

be a powerful force on young minds, seeing violence in excess can cause the line between fantasy and reality to blur, shattering a child’s reaction and acceptance toward real violence. Depression can also spawn from the false ideas that the world is a horrible place, and aggression can arise from the idea that what is on the screen is okay in real life. Television is the most inﬂuential, showing an average of up to 8,000 violent images per year. News programs in particular sometimes focus on violent content. Priding themselves as local news that matters, the news picks up as many local stories they need to fulﬁll their afternoon and nighttime blocks on TV. “It it pretty disturbing; I feel like it is all just rapes and murders,” junior Corey Labrecque said. “It would be nice if [the news] would just highlight the good things going on in the community instead of focusing on all of the crimes.” However, the fact that people see more violent images does not translate to increased amounts of violence. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, violent crime rates have actually decreased 32 percent over the past 20 years, contradicting the common perception of violence. This raises the suspicion that media coverage and content is on the rise, not violence itself. With the big

changes in society such as the dawn of the Internet, news stories can be found everywhere and are no longer exclusive to NBC and CBS. Strapped for exclusive content, newscasters can turn every breaking event into a story, giving the illusion that the world is a more violent place that it actually is. The other major source of violent images is found in video games. Thirty years ago, arcade machines could only push out a couple pixels on the screen, but the consoles of today can have very massive, graphically detailed games. And with this huge improvement over time, the amount of things that can be done with video games has also grown. Developers such as Activision (Call of Duty) and Microsoft Studios (Halo 4) now have the ability to recreate hyper-realistic warzones and fantasy environments. Along with that, violent content has grown as well. Detail-oriented bloody kills can be commonplace in some of the newest video games. “Now you put video games in for four to ﬁve hours a day, three to four days a week, and that is taking away from the time kids should be learning empathy and aren’t,” psychology teacher Gregory Vaughn said. “It isn’t that the video game is teaching them to be apathetic, but what it’s doing is robbing them of the time that they should be using to interact with friends where they will learn empathy.”

The finger has been pointed toward video games after the events of Sandy Hook. Analysts have claimed that the shooter was a “constant video game player” and “often very antisocial.” But studies referenced by the American Psychological Association show that there is no evidence to prove that video games are linked directly to violence. While the images provided by games can make certain people more detached than others, it does not make them want to commit violent acts. “They won’t be violent toward you, but they just won’t care about you,” Vaughn said. The same cannot always be said for those who watch TV. The same study from the American Psychological Association shows that those who watched a lot of TV violence when they were younger were more likely to be arrested for criminal acts as adults. Given the state the current state of the country, the media has impregnated itself within society to the point that there is no stopping to current trends. “I don’t think that we need to change media, I think that parents need to be more active in helping their children better interpret the messages they get when they are still young. The kids will eventually figure it out for themselves, but they’ll figure it out in ways parents don’t want them to,” Vaughn said.

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; d e g n a h c n u y t i r u c e SCPS s k o o H y d n a S r e t f a e id s b u s rs

Fea

Matilda von Kalm Managing Editor

fter the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, schools around the nation reviewed safety protocols to assure everyone that their students were attending a safe learning environment every day. But what does this mean for Seminole County Schools, especially in a time of budget cuts and decreased funding? According to WFTV.com, increased diligence to already intact security procedures has been the extent of the changes. While other counties, such as Orange, are implementing metal detectors at four of their schools, affordability plays a major role in the establishment of heightened security measures. A metal detector and an X-ray machine both cost $35,000 and shatterproof glass can cost up to $100 per window. “We’ve moved around administrators instead of hiring new security people, as we’ve received all of our allocated money for hiring this year,” principal Sam Momary said. “The budget for the security measures for next year is uncertain right now.” Middle and high schools have security officers on campus five days a week, but at elementary schools officers are rotated and not present every day. Temporarily, Carillon Elementary had more security officers but the permanence of their stay came down to the cost of employing extra officers. For now, most schools must rely on their established protocols to keep students safe. “In the event of a Code Red, we are able to lock down the perimeter, and administrators do sweeps to pick up any stranded students,” Momary said. “There was also sent around a memo to teachers suggesting that

they continue to follow the same protocol we developed with law enforcement officers.” As the main enforcers of student safety during a Code Red drill, teachers have had to trust the school protocols to keep them and their students safe from harm. Some have even had experience with guns on school campuses. When Advanced Placement Art History teacher Maria Garcia taught at Freedom High School in Orange County, a student approached her and told her that the student sitting next to him had a gun. Garcia had to quietly call administration to escort him out of the classroom. “You can’t hope to know what every student is carrying in their backpack to school,” Garcia said. “Trying to figure that out ends up being an invasion of privacy.” Though the initial reaction after the Sandy Hook Elementary incident was concern from parents about the safety of their children, tensions have since subsided. “I know the school [system] will do whatever is necessary to keep my children safe when they are on campus,” parent Julie Ward said. “They have been clear to parents about the protocols enforced and their plan of action, and that’s enough for me.” The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has also worked toward developing a training program to better educate school personnel on how to handle a gun-on-campus situation. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our schools,” head of Safety and Security Services for SCPS Bob DeVecchio said. “We are constantly working individually with the principals of our schools to take whatever actions are necessary to maintain a safe learning environment on every campus.”

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Has society become too

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Media’s influence on violence questioned Ben Sorkin

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s by

Ben

Sor

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Graphics Editor

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student connection

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

ART CORNER

Despite the twin misconceptions, there is no telekinesis or mind reading ability, or even a matching outfit in this pair. Freshmen Joanna and Anthony Fife are fraternal twins. She is also a cheerleader on the freshman team and he plays basketball in his free time. Many people were shocked to find out that they were twins. They only things that they seemed to have in common were their heights and braces.

Q: J: A: Q: J: Q: A:

What is having a twin like? It has it’s ups and downs; we know a lot of the same people and it is a lot easier to talk to him then to other people my age, but he teases me like a normal brother would. It has some good and bad to it; I get to have somebody to talk too but we fight a lot like a normal brother and sister. Do you have birthday parties together? Not unless we are with our family and having a party with them; mostly we have separate parties or have separate things planned out. Are you and you’re sister alike? Not at all, she can be really boring, and I’m fun. We are mostly opposites.

POLL: How often do you see bullying? During the week of Jan. 28 – Feb. 1, the Anti-Bullying club created a week for bullying awareness. The week included Pajama Day on Monday, Say Hi and Be Nice Day on Tuesday, a guest presentation by anti-bullying expert Mark Johnson on Wednesday, and a Positive T-shirt Day on Friday. The club also distributed a bullying survey to 1,315 students. The survey featured 10 questions and showed that over 50 percent of students in school have seen some sort of bullying, and 25 percent said have bullied or teased someone. In another response, 72 percent of students witnessed verbal bullying and cyber bullying but only 13 percent witnessed physical and mental bullying.

“Thief” by Lauren Bennet, 12 “I got my inspiration from my childhood. I tried to incorporate things from when I was a kid and what I liked and events that occurred in my life.”

33%

Never

Sometimes

Regularly

Daily

43%

“Midnight” by Shelby Spradley, 10 “I’ve always loved animals and landscapes, so I decided to try one. That’s my ﬁrst attempt at drawing a landscape and having to draw an animal up close.”

13%

9% “The Squid” by Kim Hall, 12 “Art is a way to express myself. I don’t think about it, I just do it.”

graphic by Ben Sorkin

Submit your own 2-D or 3-D artwork! Visit room 6-201.

reviews HORRIBLE

What’s on your

iPod?

Cara Petrullo, 10

“Warrior” by Paradise Fears “The lyrics are relatable and have helped me through hard times in my life.” “Fire” by Sleeping with Sirens “Amelia” by Tonight Alive “Bulletproof Love” by Pierce the Veil Elsita Anschuetz,11 “Not Over You” by Gavin Degraw “I connect with this song because it reminds me of the way I used to feel about a boy.”

GOOD

OUTSTANDING

Fantasyland: not yet Winnie Meyer

Staff Reporter

agic Kingdom, the crown jewel of all things Disney, has undergone changes. Disney Imagineers took Toon Town and turned it into New Fantasyland, where they plan to showcase the various Disney princesses. New Fantasyland officially opened to the public on Dec. 6. Storybook Circus, Ariel’s Grotto and Belle’s Village are all set up for big business with even bigger expectations for the public. Storybook Circus is not much of a change from what customers have seen before. The Barnstormer, Toon Town’s old rollercoaster, has been relocated, and Dumbo’s Flying Elephants has been duplicated to speed up the line. Along with this is a new Splash and Soak area where circus animals spray water at visitors. It can be enjoyable for a little kid or anyone on a hot day.

Ariel’s Grotto and The Journey of the Little Mermaid are both adorable. The detail that goes into not only the attractions themselves, but the lines as well, is incredible. Seashells are ingrained everywhere in the rocky scenery, sea gull tracks race across the landscape and Ariel’s castle looks exactly like the one from the movie. One area that is not worth the hype is Beauty and the Beast’s segment of the park. Storytime with Belle is cute, but it is targeted for a younger audience and is the only attraction in this area of the park. But the detail here, like in the Little Mermaid’s attractions, is incredible. Everything looks life-like and you truly feel like you’re in the movie, but the aspect that there isn’t much to do here outweighs the beauty. Throughout the revamped fantasyland, the robotics and mechanics are amazing. Storytime with Belle’s Madame Wardrobe looks alive and moves like a person would, if people were wardrobes. On the

photo by: www.disneyfoodblog.com A magical kingdom. New Fantasyland is located at Walt Disney World. The new additions consist of new attractions and dining options, such as the “Be Our Guest” restaurant.

Journey of the Little Mermaid ride , Ursula danced fluidly and it feels ike she sings “Poor Unfortunate Souls” right to the riders. Although what Disney has is amazing, tourists should wait to go to New Fantasyland. Not everything is completed, with Snow White and

Rupunzel still under construction. What is done right now is not worth the $93 ticket for the Magic Kingdom. Wait for 2014 when the entire area will be open and the experience will be more worthwhile.

Fantasyland

It’s a pottery party

“Trouble” by Taylor Swift

Bri McGuire

“Viva la Vida” by Coldpay

“Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 Ben Clyatt, 9 “The Boxer” by Mumford & Sons “It has a really good beat and deep lyrics.” “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons “Ray Charles” by Chiddy Bang “Runaways” by The Killers

photo by: www.wpmobserver.com Amateur artist. Painted by Hue allows customers to create different arts and crafts for recreation or holidays such as Father’s Day. Painted by Hue is located at Waterford Lakes.

Staff Reporter

s walk into Painted by Hue at Waterford Lakes, you first notice bright, colorful walls covered with shelves of pottery and paintings. Staff members greet with a smile and tell you to pick your pottery as they point to the shelve with over a hundred different options and samples. After you take a seat at an empty table, another staff member comes over and explains the process of how to successfully complete your masterpiece and makes sure to have all of the necessary tools; then you are free to paint. At Painted by Hue, not only can you paint pottery the way you want, but there is also access to several different types of utilities, such as stamps, brushes, and colors to add originality to your piece. There are several different kinds of these stamps, whether big, small, instruments, nature, etc.

Other tools are also available to create different effects. For example, sponges make polka dot patterns, while brushes create a feathered look. Personally, my favorite was the brushes with a fine tip, which made it easy to write on your piece. However, a masterpiece takes time; it’s easy to spend at least an hour and a half on the paint. I would suggest to allow a full afternoon for this experience. The total pottery cost is between $16 and $26. This price includes the paints and stamps, as well as the fire and glaze processes that have to be done before you can take the pottery home. There is a one week minimum requirement before you can pick up your piece because of the number of pottery crafts that have to be put through the fire and glaze process. My overall experience was great and I highly recommend Painted by Hue if you want to know a way to get creative and have fun for cheap.

Painted by Hue

opinions

the

blueprint

Hagerty High School 3225 Lockwood Blvd. Oviedo, FL 32765 Telephone: (407) 871-0750 Fax: (407) 871-0817

The Blue Print is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Principal Sam Momary Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association. Adviser Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as Brit Taylor a whole (except for the Our Take), the views of Seminole County Public Schools, Editor-in-Chief or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff. Sarah Casagrande 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.

Managing Editor Matilda von Kalm Business Manager Lexi Rossow Photo Editor Isabelle Sarnek

News Editor Darbi Filliben

Graphics Editor Ben Sorkin

Lifestyles Editor Lexi Rossow

Staff Reporters Ellie Bonck Keith Clowney Adeline Davis Jessica Jeffers Lauren Lee Brianna McGuire Winnie Meyer Ryan O’Connor Daniella Parcell Spencer Thompson

Sports Editor Sean Donovan Reviews Editor Daniel Neveras Opinions Editor Haley Gaeser Student Connection Ben Sorkin

Our�take: Arming teachers not an option

ell phones, inappropriate attire and repeated tardies are scorned as distractions in the classroom. But imagine what a distraction it would be to students to know that there is a loaded gun in their teacher’s possession. In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre on Dec. 14, where 20 children and six staff members were killed, both local and federal governments have pressured schools to tighten their security. According to ABC News, Delaware has proposed a ban on guns within 1000 feet of schools and President Barack Obama announced on Jan. 16 that he wishes to take action to reduce

gun violence. Amidst fear and controversy, a new proposal has formed–the idea that teachers should be allowed to carry guns at school. Several schools in Texas already allow their staff to pack concealed weapons for defensive use and proposed bills in Alaska and Oklahoma could allow their teachers to do the same. However, the idea to arm teachers seems a bit extreme when the true statistics of school shootings are considered along with the actual events. According to Poynter News, school violence has been in steep decline since the 1990s, yet when rare cases such as Sandy Hook or

the Virginia Tech massacre make the news, people worry about an issue that is actually very rare. Teachers who are armed with guns in Harrold, Texas, are required to obtain state permits and undergo crisis intervention and hostage situation training to insure that they properly know how to use the weapons they are given. But such extensive measures for all teachers could be a signiﬁcant ﬁnancial and liability cost to schools that already have a limited budget. In addition, opponents claim that armed teachers who do not handle crime on a daily basis could lead to more injuries and deaths. School staff

members are not police ofﬁcers, and if a shooter does appear on campus staff members are likely to be just as scared as the students. No amount of training could account for such a real-life or frightening situation. While school violence is a threat, it is a small threat and less drastic measures such as increased school police ofﬁcers and improved security measures such as locked gates and a well-planned Code Red system should be enough to keep schools safe. The idea of 50 or more additional guns on campus would not make students feel more secure or safe while at school–it would do quite the opposite.

Athletes missing out on PE waiver rule Daniella Parcell

Staff Reporter

he school’s star athlete enters what he believes to be his required PE class, prepared to relearn basic sports skills for an excruciating 90 minutes. As soon as the bell rings, his mood turns around as he excitedly makes his way to varsity football practice, prepared for hours of sweat and hard work. Because guidance counselors, teachers and coaches have not informed him of exemption possibilities, it is almost as if he takes two PE classes a day. With what athletes think is a required semester of PE, along with after-school practices and games, athletes devote a large portion of their in-school and after-school lives to athletics. According to the Florida Department of Education, students who have played at least two seasons

of a junior varsity or varsity sport and passed a written competency test given by the Department of Education may be exempt from the half credit of a PE class and a Personal Fitness class. However, this rule tends to go unnoticed, which is unfair. In order to give teens every available option, coaches, teachers and counselors should emphasize this rule. As they register for the next school year and look at graduation requirements, athletes often complain that people enrolled in marching band, dance and ROTC for only a semester are exempt from PE but athletes are not, even if they have played a sport throughout high school. Counselors put so much emphasis on the options that involve band, dance and ROTC, yet students who participate in interscholastic sports are usually unaware that there are options for them as well. The waiver available for students

involved in junior varsity and varsity sports has only two requirements– students must participate in two full seasons of the sport, and students must complete a personal fitness competency test given by the DOE. Many students do not have time for a sport, so students who do choose to join a team are dedicated to it, which makes the two season requirement an easy one to fulfill. This leaves just a grade of C or higher on a personal fitness competency test for athletes to get out of both PE and Personal Fitness. The exam is available for students in grades nine through 11, and students can study the textbook used for the Personal Fitness course. This test is available and has the potential to get athletes out of unneeded and unwanted courses, but because few people know of it, pass rates are low. If guidance counselors expressed that this option is available and

pointed students toward proper study resources, awareness would be raised and pass rates could be higher. Even at this year’s assemblies for course selection, counselors told students that there is no way to be exempt from PE through interscholastic sport and that the only available waivers are for students in band, dance and ROTC, which is misleading and untrue. Although this information is present in the student planner, it is often overlooked and needs to be explained to students as they select their courses for the following year. This allows them to take extra courses they are interested in, rather than packing their days with PE and sports. As next school year approaches and students continue to select their classes, it is crucial that not only counselors, but also coaches and teachers emphasize the availability of PE waivers for student athletes.

barks

& bites

Haley Gaeser Opinions Editor A BARK to the French Honor Society for volunteering to clean up Brumbly Road on Feb. 22. The society cleans up the road four times a year and 10 to 20 kids show up each time. The cleaning takes from one to two hours to complete and once the group is done, people will come out to collect the bags of trash that have been collected. Not only will this improve road cleanliness, but it will allow the members of the club to put effort into something meaningful. A BITE to anyone who believes that teachers should be allowed to possess a gun while on a school campus. Would any of you students trust any of your teachers with keeping a gun in their classroom? Not only would it be scary to be in the room, but the thought of gun theft is even scarier. A BARK to Mrs. Foley for making World History enjoyable. She clearly understands the pressure we are in as students and always make sure to give help whenever needed. Her laidback attitude makes any difﬁcult assignment easy to endure. After leaving her class at the end of the year, she will have successfully prepared all of her students with the necassary skills they needed. A BITE to students who feel the need to stand in front of or lean on other people’s lockers. The whole point of a locker is to get your stuff out for class and then go, not stand there and talk to your friends. Not only does it make it more challenging for other students to use their own lockers, but it makes hallways even more crowded than they already are.

opinions

YES

“The new 2.5 GPA requirement would motivate athletes to raise their grades.” Adeline Davis

Staff Reporter hey endure bruises, concussions, sore muscles and dehydration for days on end. They give up their Friday nights to play the sport they love. They are athletes. However, despite their “no guts, no glory” motto on the field, their academic standards fall short. Athletes are leaders of the student body. They are expected to give 110 percent of their effort every time they go out on the field. However, once they step into the classroom those high expectations drop. Currently, the required GPA for athletes is only a 2.0. In other words, they could pull straight C’s and still be able to participate in their sport. This is ridiculous. If an athlete played “average” in a game, they would lose. So, why is it acceptable academically? According to the Huffington, a 2.0 GPA is not even the national average for high school students. In 2009, female students received GPA’s of 3.1, while male students received GPA’s of 2.9. This average has climbed since then. Why should athletes’ standards be less than average? It only feeds into the stereotype that depicts athletes as ignorant. In reality, the majority of athletes soar above the 2.0 requirement. Those athletes who just meet the requirement would be encouraged to improve their academics. If their sport meant enough to them it could be done. A 2011 census shows that 48 percent of students who entered college had high school GPA’s in the A- to A+ range while only 4.5 percent of students who entered college had high school grades of C’s or lower. The required GPA should be raised to at least a 2.5. Raising the standard would help prepare athletes for the strenuous work load in college. After all, most high school athletes do not have college sports careers, and even fewer play professionally. In the end it is their education that will matter. It is clear that the enhancement in athletic grades can have a positive effect throughout the school. The new 2.5 requirement would help motivate athletes to raise their grades, thus being examples to other students. If athletes can score a touchdown at the last second, or shoot a three pointer as the buzzer is about to sound, they can certainly get above a 2.0.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you like to write? Have an opinion for the BluePrint Staff? Send us an email at hhsblueprint@gmail. com or come to room 6-201. Letters to the editor cannot be anonymous.

Is a 2.0 an acceptable minimum GPA to play sports? “It should be raised because colleges have 2.5 as a requirement and they should set the standards higher. Education should come before sports.” Amanda Wise, 10

“I think that’s a good minimum because I’m on the basketball team and many of our girls don’t have much higher than a 2.0.” Mariah Gaines,12

“If it’s higher it will inspire athletes to be better students. It should be 2.5.” Casey Stuart, 10

“It’s a good minimum because it’s not too low, but you don’t have to be a genius to play sports.” Meghan Bradburn, 10

Dear Editors, One problem I find with this school is there are not enough pep rallies or spirit days. Comparing our school to Oviedo, we barely have any pep rallies. I have many friends that attend OHS and they always talk about the pep rallies that are always occurring. We may do Pink Out and Red Out but more events like those would get the students’ attention. Students like to have a good time with their friends at events like those. These events would bring the student body together. All of us are in that gym cheering and rooting for those skilled players to get the win that night. We all root for our boys and support our school. Having more school spirit will make pep rallies more entertaining. Everyone will be cheering for our school and will have something to look forward to during the week. Maria De Los Angele Pagan ,11

“Taking away their sport could decrease their incentive to work hard in school.”

Lexi Rossow

Business Manager igh school sport seasons are the peak athletic years for high school. These are the years where teens can reach their highest level of athleticism and bond with their friends on the court or on the field as well as in the classroom. This opportunity is only available during your high school career, since only two percent of athletes actually continue sports onto the collegiate level. The minimum grade point average currently necessary for student athletes to be eligible to play is a 2.0 GPA, enacted by the Florida High School Athletics Association. But, the bar for academic and athletic excellence is constantly raised to new levels of success, causing a potential switch to a 2.5 GPA minimum instead. A 2.0 GPA is the minimum grade point average for graduation, making it logical that the student-athlete eligibility minimum GPA should be a 2.0 as well. According to athletic director Jay Getter, an average of five to 10 percent of athletes would not be eligible to play if the GPA minimum was raised to a 2.5. If the average nonathletic student can earn a 2.0 GPA and still graduate, the overachieving, athletic high school student should be allowed the same minimum to play sports, especially because time-management and stress have been added to their daily workload. Also, student-athletes that struggle with academics can be more enthusiastic for their sport than their grades. Taking away their sport could decrease their incentive to work hard in school. They could lose passion in both endeavors, fail classes indifferently and cease to attend school on a regular basis. By allowing the student to remain on the team, they are forced to attend school and perform to their best ability. Student-athletes have to manage their time more than any other high school student by balancing games, transportation, practice times and much needed sleep. They also dedicate hours of their week to bettering themselves physically and mentally for their sport. Raising the minimum GPA higher from the set minimum for graduation would be an unfair decision, and would cost many players their chance at state championships and games during their greatest athletic seasons of their lives.

Dear Editors, I do not like how some teachers can get off topic so easily. They will go on and on and tell you all about their social lives. They will then expect us to get our work done in the time they planned, but since their talking takes up a lot of our class time, we never finish like we should. It would be fine if we were able to work while they talk but many teachers do not like that. If teachers plan to talk, they should allow us to work while we listen. That way, all of our work will be finished on time and we will also be able to hear a bunch of interesting stories. Jessica Ritchie, 10

sports shorts

GIRLS’ WEIGHTLIFTING SENDS TWO TO STATES The girls’ weightlifting finished the best season in school history, with a record of 12-3 and third in the conference. Both junior Kiley Dechau and senior Sherri Menna continued to states on Feb. 9. Menna finished sixth in the state, and medaled. Menna is only the second person in the program’s history to medal at states. Dechau finished in the top 15. The team had two conference champions including freshman Olivia Albano, who set every record in her weight class, and senior Christine Downs. CHEERLEADING FINISHES SECOND IN STATE The cheerleading team placed second in the state on Feb. 2 with a score of 84.1 out of 100. The team went to nationals Feb. 9 at Disney and finished eighth in the nation in large varsity 2A. The competition team consisted of 25 girls, six of them seniors. The routine was 2:30 and consisted of jumps, tumbling and stunts. The team learned the routine in Septmber and had been perfecting it ever since. This is the first time that the cheerleading program placed in the top ten at Nationals. WRESTLING PLACES SIXTH IN DISTRICTS The wrestling team ended the regular season 9-9 and sixth overall in districts. Sophomore Zach Larison and senior Austin Schroeder both finished third in districts and moved on to the regional competition. Larison was unseeded going into district tournaments and beat the second seed to earn his third place. Schroeder was seeded fourth and beat the number three seed to obtain his third place. Larison finished two matches from qualifying for states. Schroeder was 1-2 in regionals. BOYS’ JV BASKETBALL SWEEPS OVIEDO The JV boys’ basketball finished 9-15 with two wins over Oviedo, 58-52 and 40-36, as well as a win over Winter Springs after losing to them earlier in the season. Key players included sophomore Isaiah Domino, who led the team in scoring, sophomore Robin Loh, who led the team in rebounds, and sophomore Brandon Margio, who took over the position of point guard. BOYS’ LACROSSE TRAVELS TO JACKSONVILLE FOR WIN The boys’ varsity lacrosse team travelled to Jacksonville on Feb. 18 to take on MacLay High from Tallahassee as their season opener at EverBank Field in the Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic. They won 18-9 and senior Andrew Bonnie led the team with seven goals and four assists. Senior goalie Ryan McMahon also led the team with 25 saves.

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Soccer dream ends early Sean Donovan Sports Editor n Saturday Jan. 27, the varsity girls’ soccer team’s undefeated season came to a screeching halt as the team fell to Oviedo for the first time in four games this season, 2-1 in overtime. The team jumped to a 1-0 start in the first half off a senior Darbi Filliben header. Oviedo then scored off goalie Nicole Mattson’s deflection, where a crowd appeared in front of the goal for possession and Oviedo forward Madison Tucker snuck it in. The second half was a defensive struggle and the game went into overtime. With four minutes left, Oviedo midfielder Kaitlin Moghaddam scored on a goal similar to their first one, placing it in the top right corner of the goal to ice the game and advance. “We were really disappointed,” senior midfielder Sam Collin said. “There was just an empty feeling. We didn’t finish what we set out to do.” Their last victory came in the regional quarterfinal against Boone, where the team won 5-0. Collin had two goals, sophomore forward Ru Mucherera and senior Amyah Banks had a goal each, and junior Alex Mastrubono had a goal as well. The team had swept Oviedo in three games prior, defeating them in the district championship 2-0—one of their most important victories in the rivalry so far. “In the past we’ve struggled against them,” said junior Sydney Schilling. “It’s so uplifting and makes us have more pride in our school.” Before the district championship, the team blew out Lyman 6-1 at home as their first game outside the undefeated regular season. The team went 18-0-1 in the

photo by DSP

A foot away. Senior defender Darbi Filliben takes a free kick after an opponent’s foul. Filliben scored the lone goal during the regional semifinal loss to Oviedo.

regular season, being ranked number one in the state for much of the season and even winning the Julie Weber tournament. The style of play this season had been adjusted only slightly. This year, instead of focusing on attack, they are focusing more on possession to control the tempo of the game. Much of the strength of the team is built of the experience they brought back with them this season. Most of the team returned from last year. Other strengths of the team come from off-the-ﬁeld reasons. The girls have been spending more time together outside of practice and have

bonded because of this. They are also more matured, which comes to play a role back on the ﬁeld in their play and provides a positive impact on their game. Regarding this season, there is an expected amount of disappointment, but the team still looks back with pride on the successes they managed. “We were so close and had the team to win it all,” Filliben said. “I’ll always remember what could’ve been but wasn’t. We might not have the rings, but we have left a lasting legacy. We have a special team that has helped build up the program. I’ll never forget all that we

sports Sports Truths Necessary appreciation of the women Sean Donovan Sports Editor

hen most people think of legends, a male is usually associated with the title. Yet according to Disney movie lore, Fa Mulan began as nothing more than a woman of high societal stature who took her father’s place in the army. Through fierce training, she journeyed with the army of Captain Shang to battle the Huns, where she saved the Emperor and Shang and defeated Shan Yu the Hun to save the Middle Kingdom of China. From then on she was celebrated as the “Hero of China.” Much like Mulan, the girls’ sports teams have seen a major rise in what they have accomplished. Girls’ soccer had an undefeated regular season, swimming sent relay teams and individuals, such as Natsuko Worrell, to the state competition and the cheerleading squad placed second at states and in the top ten at Nationals. The support of these teams has come a long way, too. Crowds at girls’ volleyball throughout the season were impressive, as was the crowd at the final girls’ soccer game against Oviedo. This year, the overall regular season record of the girls’ athletic teams that own a record was 7312-1. Compared to other teams in the Seminole Athletic Conference, the girls’ teams are constantly at the top, placing no lower than third out of all their sports. But they receive no greater praise than if the team were to place in the top five of a competition. What the girls’ teams have done over the past few years is nothing short of astounding. Domination in the regular season and constant appearance in the postseason is something unparalleled throughout the area. As far as girls’ athletics go, there is almost no question that our school takes the cake.

Girls’ basketball breaks down barriers Darbi Filliben

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News Editor

he season has been like a roller coaster: there have been some fantastic times and then there have been some awful ones,” senior center Mariah Gaines said. “In the past everyone has always been like we have next year, but this year was our last real shot. It gave us something to strive for throughout the season.” The girls’ basketball team started off the season strong, eventually ending the season with a 12-13 record, the best in program history. They were the only team at the school to ever beat Lake Mary who were the district champions. “We all ﬁnally came together and began working as a united team,” senior Kristen Sawyer said. “It’s the best we’ve done so far.” However, they struggled through their Christmas tournament, losing every game. Instead of allowing that lack of results to tear them down, the team used that tournament as motivation to ﬁnish the season with their best record ever. “The tournament was just a

horrible weekend; everyone played badly,” Gaines said. “After that, it’s like something clicked inside of all of us and it was smooth sailing from there.” Experience has been key to the team’s success. Eight of the ten members of the team are seniors who have had key roles on the team throughout the years. Many of them have been starters since freshman year. “Most of us have been on varsity since freshman and sophomore years so it’s our turn to make a difference,” Sawyer said. “We are all ﬁnally coming together.” However, as the season began to look up, the team was struck by a serious injury. Senior Mackenzie Eller, who averaged 20 points a per game, tore her ACL for the third time. The team had to ﬁll in for one of their lead scorers once again. “It’s hard to ask one person to make up all of the points she scored,” Sawyer said. “It’s been a huge challenge for the team.” The team has had to change their focus as the years have gone by. For a team that has yet to have a winning season, something had to change.

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photo by Devin Becker

Charged success. Senior Kathren Francis dribbles the ball down-court, preparing to shoot a lay-up against Winter Springs.

“We have a new assistant coach this year. He’s stricter than our previous one,” Gaines said. “Our main focus has been to just win a district game and push aside all our outside problems.”

Although the team fell just short of a winning season, they were able to persevere through off court drama, injuries and a new assistant coach to end the year with the best record in the program’s history.

K I N ne d e W

Jessica Jeffers

Staff Reporter

enior Ben Livingston opened the drawers one at a time trying to ﬁnd the nicest, “classiest,” tie that he owned. He soon found one, tied it around his neck and walked out the door, excited to see if the rest of the school would follow his lead. As he walked in to class, he ﬁgured out the answer was no. Through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, seniors Ben Livingston and Abdiel Ayala tried to send out the word to students to try and look their best on Friday. These fads can either catch on or end tragically. “We are all too worried about what society does rather than being individuals. I guess it was just a, ‘I will do it if he does it’ kind of thing,” Livingston said. Some fads were inspired by the movie “Mean Girls” such as wearing pink on Wednesday’s or going all out for Oct. 3 (National Mean Girls Day). Feb. 13 was National Guys Wear Yoga Pants day, a trend that ended before it was able to begin. “One day in class Mr. Stansbury said that since it was national guys wear yoga pants day and that on Feb. 13 he would wear yoga pants to school,” sophomore Helen Cabanillas said.

Celebrity Inspired source: latimes.com

Pop culture spawns new fads

Stansbury, of course, did not. On National Mean Girls day, sophomore Savannah Courtney wore a white shirt with holes cut out to reveal her bra like in the movie when the main character Cady pranks Regina George in school. She was inspired by that scene in the movie to dress up. “I had people I did not know hug me in the hallways and stuff; I’m not that dedicated to the movie though like other people who were even crazier than me,” Courtney said. Also in Mean Girls, “The Plastics” always wore pink on Wednesday which started a trend for many students. Yet there are some that still are not that into this fad and do not follow them. “I respect people who do it, but I really hate pink and wearing a shirt just to represent a movie, that is weird to me,” sophomore Torii Robertson said. Despite common misconceptions about fads, they are not just created by students who are bored but as an opportunity for people to bust out of the normal society and become creative and play a role or theme for a day. “Fads are a great way to express yourself for a day instead of being like everybody else, which is really boring. This kind of gives people that are scared to be different, an opportunity to,” sophomore Hope Bryant said.

Trends

Artistic nails

started when stars like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga got their nails done in exotic ways. The style became wide-spread once new nail technology came out.

Bow ties

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became popular when they were shown being worn by actors in Doctor Who and Glee. Fashion blogs around the world have promoted them.

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Crop tops

started with Gwyneth Paltrow in September 2011 at the Emmy’s. The look was borrowed from the 1980s and soon became popular once again.

Leather and lace

became popular when Pink was seen wearing leather at one of her concerts. The idea to add lace made the perfect combination of naughty and nice.

photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Pretty in pink. Freshman Madison Bohlmann, sophomore Hope Bryant and freshman Elena Fotadis eat lunch while dressed for Pink Wednesdays, a fad inspired by the movie “Mean Girls”.